Studio Ghibli-Inspired AI Trend Sparks Debate on Copyright, Artistry   

• Soon after OpenAI released its most advanced AI image generator, a viral social media trend imitating the signature style of Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli reignited debate over AI’s role in art and copyright concerns. The latest update to OpenAI’s GPT-4o, launched March 25, offers significant improvements in text rendering and image generation, including the ability to follow complex prompts and create artwork inspired by a variety of styles. Among the most popular uses of the tool this week has been transforming memes and personal photos into images reminiscent of Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki’s hand-drawn animation. While fans have marveled at AI’s ability to replicate the style of films like “Spirited Away,” an older video featuring Miyazaki himself has resurfaced, highlighting the tension between technology and traditional artistry. In a 2016 clip, the legendary animator criticized AI-generated visuals as an “insult to life itself.” “I am utterly disgusted,” Miyazaki said in the video while reacting to an AI-generated monster animation. “If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it, but I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.” The controversy comes amid growing concerns over AI’s impact on human artists. Earlier in March, nearly 4,000 people signed an open letter urging Christie’s, the British auction house, to cancel an auction dedicated to AI-generated art, arguing that such technology exploits copyrighted works and diminishes the role of traditional artists. Despite the criticism, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has embraced the viral moment. On March 27, he joked on X that after “a decade trying to help make superintelligence to cure cancer or whatever,” it was Studio Ghibli-inspired images that had sparked widespread interest in his work. However, the surge in AI-generated art has also put a strain on OpenAI’s infrastructure. As users flooded ChatGPT with requests to generate Studio Ghibli-style images, Altman acknowledged that the company’s servers were struggling to keep up. “We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient,” Altman wrote on X. “Hopefully won’t be long! ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.” As AI continues to push the boundaries of creativity, the debate over its ethical and artistic implications shows no signs of slowing down. Luis Apolo Staff Reporter teen/1744099714/1613367592