New Delhi: Internet on Friday was flooded with memes, scenes and photographs in the Studio Ghibli style through ChatGPT’s new feature that has sparked outrage among a section of social media users who called AI generated images an insult to the creative mastery of legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.
OpenAI has released its most advanced image generator through an update on Chat GPT-4o, which allows users to generate images in Miyazaki’s hand-drawn animation style that featured in Oscar winning films such as “Spirited Away” and “The Boy and the Heron”.
Miyazaki’s other celebrated movies include “Howl’s Moving Castle”, “My Friend Totoro”, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “The Wind Rises”.
Zelda Williams, daughter of late comedian Robin Williams, wrote on Instagram,
“People are gleefully sharing ‘Studio Ghibli style’ AI memes and photos, as though the man himself wouldn’t absolutely despise the technological piracy and negative effects on our environment. Anyway, go watch ‘Princess Mononoke’ in theaters tonight, and f**k AI.”
Many from India, including prominent Bollywood studios like Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Maddock Films, joined the trend by sharing posters and images from their films in the Ghibli style.
Dharma Productions posted new posters of its films such as “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”, “OK Jaanu”, “Badrinath Ki Dulhania”, “Shershaah” and “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani” in the Ghibli style.
“Falling in love never felt this cute,” they captioned the images.
Maddock Films also shared AI recreated posters of films such as “Bhediya”, “Munjya”, “Mimi”, “Stree 2″, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya” and “Sky Force”.
“This isn’t just AI. It’s adorable intelligence,” wrote Maddock.
Red Chillies used the ChatGPT feature to come up with Studio Ghibli-esque posters of many Shah Rukh Khan-starrers — “Chennai Express”, “Dunki”, “Happy New Year” and “Dear Zindagi”.
Though many loved what AI did with the posters of movies and iconic moments, a large section of people and fans of Miyazaki termed the trend as nothing short of plagiarism.
“Since this utter garbage is trending, we should take a look at what Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Studio Ghibli, said about machine created art,” wrote a user while sharing an old interview of Miyazaki reacting to AI generated animation.
In the short clip, Miyazaki said, “I am utterly disgusted. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
Watch The Video Here:
Since this utter garbage is trending, we should take a look at what Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Studio Ghibli, said about machine created art. https://t.co/1TMPcFGIJE pic.twitter.com/IvaM9WZL3T
— Nuberodesign (@nuberodesign) March 26, 2025
A social media user said Miyazaki didn’t spend his entire life cultivating a distinct artistic identity so that AI could reduce decades of his discipline and integrity to meme fodder.
“It’s a shame how easily y’all abandon principle just to feel included,” said a social media user.
“Stop promoting AI garbage, pay a real artist to do real drawings!” wrote one user.
Another said, “One day this Ai will replace you and everyone will make low quality content that day be happy to see your own downfall!!”
“The amount of ‘get used to it’, ‘it’s fun’, ‘stop whining’ that I see in response to anti AI sentiments is wild. I can’t stop you from using the stupid, water wasting, s****y facsimile machines, in the same way you can’t stop me from talking about how deeply empty life will become if we relegate the pursuit of art or knowledge to a machine because some people don’t like the effort of learning, whether that’s an artistic skill or homework in school. Lazy doesn’t just effect the body, it rots the mind,” Zelda said.
“If someone steals a design and sells it we call it a knockoff. Yet when AI steals the lifes work of someone like Hiyao Miyazaki we call it the future. This is a complete joke, and I am not laughing,” wrote a Miyazaki fan on X.
Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have not yet officially commented on the viral trend.
