The growing enthusiasm around ChatGPT's latest upgrade is evident but it also ironically stands in contrast to Hayao Miyazaki’s beliefs about the use of AI in art.
Are you wondering why social media has been Ghibli-fied all of a sudden? Well, if you’re a fan of the studio, you’re probably already familiar with their iconic animation style. It’s soft, dreamy, and whimsical for the most part and we love it for that and there must be days when you've probably found yourself daydreaming about what you’d look like if you were a character in one of those beautiful, hand-drawn animated movies. Now, thanks to OpenAI’s recently released image generation tool built into GPT- 4o, you don’t have to just imagine it anymore! You can actually see yourself in that Ghibli-esque style!
Not only is this new tool good at creating really realistic and detailed images, it’s also really great at adding that unmistakable Ghibli touch to your photos, making them feel like they belong in one of those iconic films. So, no surprise, social media is flooded with Ghibli-style images popping up everywhere! The excitement on social media over this new Ghibli-style upgrade is palpable, with users jumping at the opportunity to experiment with their photos. People are sharing all kinds of creative content, from reimagining their favorite pictures and personal moments in the dreamy Ghibli style to adding a whimsical twist to well-known memes.
Also Read: Japanese folklore, the secret ingredient amplifying the magical appeal in Studio Ghibli films
Take a look!
As AI-generated art becomes more common, we can expect to see its increasing use in professional work as well. In some way, it is a positive development as it saves time and effort for many people but this enthusiasm for AI-generated Ghibli-style art ironically reminds me of a famous statement by Studio Ghibli's co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki, in which he expressed his strong disapproval of AI in animation.
In 2016, during a documentary called NHK Special, Never-Ending Man — Hayao Miyazaki, he was shown an AI-generated animation of a strange, zombie-like creature. Miyazaki criticized the AI, calling it an "insult to life itself". He believed that machines lacked the ability to understand human emotions, pain, and experience, which he felt were essential for understanding and creating art. For Miyazaki, whose work has always been deeply personal and hand-crafted, the idea of AI in animation felt like the "end of times." Today, as people eagerly use AI to recreate the very style he helped create, it feels a bit ironic and also highlights a growing tension between the convenience of AI and the soul of traditional artistry.
Would you be okay with AI doing more of the heavy lifting in creative work? Or do you think it should remain a tool rather than the main artist? Let us know in the comments below
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