OpenAI’s Ghibli-style AI art trend sparks viral delight and ethical debate

OpenAI’s latest image generator has sparked a viral trend of Studio Ghibli-style AI art across social media platforms, highlighting both the technology’s impressive capabilities and the ethical questions it raises. The phenomenon demonstrates the tension between rapid AI advancement and traditional artistic values, particularly as users reimagine everything from classic films to viral memes in the distinctive style of the beloved Japanese animation studio, whose co-founder has previously expressed strong opposition to AI-generated art.

The big picture: OpenAI’s GPT-4o update has stunned users with its ability to generate images and videos mimicking recognizable animation styles, with Studio Ghibli imitations quickly dominating social platforms.

• The update, released Tuesday, features improved text rendering and more sophisticated prompt-following capabilities alongside extensive training across diverse image styles.
• Users have flooded X and Instagram with Ghibli-style reimaginings of scenes from “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Sopranos,” political events, and popular internet memes.

Why this matters: The trend has reignited debates about AI art’s relationship to copyright, artistic labor, and creative ethics.

• Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, known for meticulous hand-drawn animation, previously called AI-generated art “an insult to life itself” in a 2016 video that’s now circulating alongside the new images.
• The viral phenomenon emerges just weeks after nearly 4,000 people signed an open letter urging Christie’s to cancel an AI art auction over concerns that generative programs exploit human artists’ copyrighted work.

What they’re saying: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to the trend with self-deprecating humor about his company’s public reception.

• Altman joked on X that after “a decade trying to help make superintelligence to cure cancer or whatever,” it was Ghibli-style images that generated viral interest, adding: “Mostly no one cares for first 7.5 years, then for 2.5 years everyone hates you for everything.”
• He further noted the irony of waking up to “hundreds of messages: ‘Look I made you into a twink Ghibli style haha,'” referencing users creating Ghibli-style portraits of him.

Between the lines: The phenomenon raises multiple copyright questions about both Studio Ghibli’s distinctive style and the original source materials being reimagined.

• When CNN attempted to recreate some of the viral Ghibli-style memes using ChatGPT, the service refused, stating that “the request didn’t follow our content policy.”
• The trend exemplifies how AI tools can simultaneously delight users with creative possibilities while raising complex questions about artistic ownership and attribution.