Studio Ghibli-style AI images flood social media after ChatGPT update

Dubai: Social media feeds have recently been flooded with Studio Ghibli-style artwork, as users experiment with OpenAI's latest image generation capabilities within ChatGPT. Since Tuesday, March 25, OpenAI has enabled users to create images directly in the app using its reasoning model, GPT-4o, which the company describes as its "most advanced image generator yet."

According to OpenAI, this improved capability stems from training its models on the combined distribution of online images and text. This approach helps the model understand not only how images relate to language but also how they connect to each other.

“Combined with aggressive post-training, the resulting model has surprising visual fluency, capable of generating images that are useful, consistent, and context-aware,” stated OpenAI. However, the model still has limitations, including issues with image cropping, precise graphing, and multilingual text rendering.

Since the feature's launch, users have discovered that by uploading existing images into ChatGPT, the model excels at replicating the distinctive anime style of Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio behind iconic films such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro.

In the past 24 hours alone, users have shared Studio Ghibli-style AI-generated images featuring figures such as Donald Trump and scenes from popular films. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has adopted a Studio Ghibli-style image as his new profile picture.

Despite the enthusiastic social media response, OpenAI has faced criticism for allegedly copying Studio Ghibli's signature style, raising concerns about copyright infringement. A widely shared video of Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli's co-founder, has resurfaced online, showing his strong disapproval of AI-generated animation.

“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,” Miyazaki said in 2016 after being shown a demo of AI-generated animation. He added, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”