'Ghiblifying' goes viral, sparking copyright concerns
ChatGPT's tool to create Studio Ghibli-style memes sparks concern
FOX 5's Teresa Priolo spoke with Robert Greener, an intellectual property lawyer, who suggests the tool is no different than if a single person created an animation that emulated the Studio Ghibli style.
NEW YORK - AI just gave animation a speedrun—and now the copyright debate is racing to catch up.
A new version of ChatGPT is letting users transform their photos into Ghibli-style animation, the latest viral trend to spark AI copyright concerns.
What once took hours of intricate hand-drawing and painstaking storyboarding, now takes just minutes, thanks to the AI generator creating Ghibli-style images.
NAGAKUTE, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: A display of the film 'Castle in the Sky', that is copyrighted by Studio Ghibli, is seen in the Ghibli's Grand Warehouse area during a preview for the Ghibli Park on October 12, 2022 in Nagakute, Japan. The theme park, w
Studio Ghibli
The image generator mimics the distinct style of Studio Ghibli, the famed Japanese animation studio behind many beloved influential animation films.
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But while fans are embracing the AI-made images, critics worry about the implications for artists like Miyazaki, whose hand-drawn storytelling has defined the genre.
Under the direction of Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, along with producer Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli has produced films such as "My Neighbor Totoro", "Kiki’s Delivery Service", and Ponyo, earning numerous international awards.
A member of staff (L) cleans a window of an exhibit at Ghibli's Grand Warehouse during a media tour of the new Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Aichi prefecture on October 12, 2022. - The media on October 12 got a sneak peek at the highly anticipated new the
Miyazaki, 84, has long been skeptical of AI in animation, and this new tool only fuels the debate over whether AI-trained models are exploiting copyrighted works. Instead of hours of meticulous hand-drawing and storyboarding, the generator produces Ghibli-style images in minutes.
The trend has gone completely viral—even India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined in, tweeting Ghibli-style portraits of world leaders like Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron last week.
Free ghibli-style image generator
The question remains: is the generator a case of copyright infringement?
Intellectual property lawyer Robert Greener argues that it's no different from creating an animation without Ghibli’s consent.
A recent ruling stated that AI-generated art without human input cannot be copyrighted under U.S. law, but it’s still unclear whether Ghibli-style images would be considered as lacking "human input."
NAGAKUTE, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: A display of Kaonashi or No-Face, an animation character from the film 'Spirited Away', that is copyrighted by Studio Ghibli, is seen in the Ghibli's Grand Warehouse area during a preview for the Ghibli Park on October 1
"There’s a lot in our society based on a kernel of an idea that someone had," Greener says.
So far, there’s no indication that Miyazaki intends to take legal action against ChatGPT.
ChatGPT and copyright
OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, which is facing copyright lawsuits, has mostly supported the "Ghiblification" trend. CEO Sam Altman even changed his profile picture on X to a Ghibli-style portrait. In a paper released Tuesday, the company said the new tool would take a "conservative approach" when mimicking artists’ styles.
It added that the tool will block attempts to create images in the style of living artists but allows broader studio styles, encouraging original fan creations.
Studio Ghibli declined to comment on the matter.