Table of contents
“One Piece” Director Criticized AI Ghibli Art Trend
Megumi Ishitani, renowned for her directorial work on the anime series “One Piece,” has publicly criticized the recent trend of AI-generated images that mimic Studio Ghibli’s distinctive art style. Expressing her discontent on social media, Ishitani stated, “This has tainted the name of Ghibli. It is unforgiveable” .
Ishitani’s concerns echo those of other industry professionals who argue that such AI applications undermine the originality and hard work inherent in traditional animation. They contend that replicating Ghibli’s art style through AI diminishes the value of the studio’s creations and disrespects the artists’ dedication.
Nevertheless, the trend has gone viral amidst the public, and even celebrities have been sharing photos changed to “Ghibli style” on social media. Many, including Kang Jae-jun, Lee Eun-hyung, Song Ji-eun, Park Wi, Hong Seok-cheon, Jeon Hyun-moo, Park Seul-gi, Lee Hyun-i, Lee Ji-hoon, Ayane, Kim Sung-eun, Nam Bo-ra, Oh Sang-jin, Seol Ha-yoon, Jang Sung-kyu, Eun Ga-eun, Super Junior’s Lee Teuk, CNBLUE’s Lee Jong-hyun, Solji, Son Dambi, Lee Da-eun, Heo Kyung-hwan, and Kim Dong-jun, and Chae Ri-na have all rushed to join the trend.
The Controversial AI Generative Art Trend
Recently, OpenAI updated ChatGPT with the ability to generate images in the style of Studio Ghibli, quickly sparking a trend on social media. Users have utilized this feature to transform personal photos, historical events, or abstract paintings into images that reflect the artistic essence of Ghibli. However, this trend has raised ethical and copyright concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in art.
The most recent update to GPT-4o, released on March 25, 2025, brings several practical improvements, such as enhanced text rendering accuracy and the capacity to follow more intricate, complex prompts. However, it has also been extensively trained on a “wide range of image styles,” as noted in a post on OpenAI’s website, astonishing users with its ability to generate still images and videos that resemble beloved animations, from “South Park” to timeless claymation.
The Ghibli-style image generation feature of ChatGPT has attracted a large number of users worldwide. Some have even compiled animated images into a story, similar to comic books. According to TechCrunch, thousands of images have been shared on social media over the past 24 hours, with hundreds of thousands of views. OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman also changed his X profile picture to a Ghibli-style one.
Studio Ghibli, co-founded by director Hayao Miyazaki, is renowned for its meticulous and unique animation style. Miyazaki has previously expressed his disagreement with using AI in art, calling it “an insult to life itself.” ChatGPT’s ability to generate images in the Ghibli style has raised concerns about copyright infringement and the impact on the livelihoods of artists.
Evan Brown, an intellectual property attorney at Neal & McDevitt, believes that products like OpenAI’s operate in a “legal gray area.” He argues that “style” is not explicitly protected by copyright law, meaning OpenAI may not be in violation if it only creates images that resemble those of Studio Ghibli.
However, he also points out that ChatGPT is replicating the Ghibli style quite accurately, suggesting that the GPT-4o model may have been trained on millions of frames from the Japanese company’s films. This raises questions about the copyright agreement between the two parties. An OpenAI spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company does not copy “the styles of living artists,” but it may be allowed to replicate “the styles of studios,” which have more flexible regulations.
Following these statements, OpenAI ceased offering the ChatGPT image generation feature to free users due to “high demand.” This policy, however, remains controversial, with some arguing that using AI to recreate artistic styles without permission is unethical and may violate copyright laws.
This situation raises questions about the boundaries between creativity and copyright infringement in the AI era. Many artists worry that their work could be copied and used without consent, threatening the value of creative labor. This calls for a broader discussion on intellectual property rights and the ethics of using AI in art.
