ChatGPT's Viral Images Highlight AI Copyright Concerns
Amid the Ghibli-style image craze, questions have arisen about whether OpenAI had the legal right to train its model on Studio Ghibli’s works.
Fans of Studio Ghibli recently delighted in using ChatGPT's new image generator to transform photos into the distinct Ghibli style, inspired by founder Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic works. However, this trend has also sparked debates around AI’s use of copyrighted art and its impact on human artists.
Miyazaki, renowned for his hand-drawn animation and whimsical storytelling, has openly criticized AI in the past. In 2016, after watching an AI-generated animation of a grotesque, writhing figure, he remarked, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.” Reflecting on his disabled friend’s struggles, he condemned the technology, saying, “Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is.”
Amid the Ghibli-style image craze, questions have arisen about whether OpenAI had the legal right to train its model on Studio Ghibli’s works. Attorney Josh Weigensberg noted that while artistic “style” itself may not be copyrightable, specific elements within a work can be. “You could freeze a frame in any of [Miyazaki’s] films and point to specific things, then look at the output of generative AI and see identical or substantially similar elements,” he said.
OpenAI has not clarified whether it holds a license to use Ghibli’s art. The company’s CEO, Sam Altman, embraced the trend by updating his profile picture with a Ghibli-style portrait. Meanwhile, artist Karla Ortiz, who is suing other AI image generators, condemned OpenAI’s actions, accusing the company of exploiting Ghibli’s branding without regard for artists’ livelihoods.
Studio Ghibli has yet to respond, but the debate continues, with critics calling for greater accountability in AI's use of copyrighted creative works.
