The Great Clash Over Creation

Earlier this year, a new viral trend took social media by storm yet again.

- SHREETOMA BISWAS

OpenAI, the same company that developed the generative artificial intelligence (AI) assistant ChatGPT, launched a new feature that allowed users to upload and alter photographs to resemble the hand-drawn animation style of Japanese artist and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki's name is synonymous with Studio Ghibli, the animation studio he co-founded to produce award-winning films such as Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle, and My Neighbour Totoro, which have enthralled viewers with their heartwarming stories and incredible visuals. In a flash, Instagram was inundated with Ghibli reimaginations of users' personal photos, scenes from iconic films, celebrities, and natural attractions such as Darjeeling and Munnar.

The feature generated a divide between those who jumped in on the opportunity to reimagine themselves as 'Ghiblified' avatars, and others who accused OpenAI of plagiarism, copyright infringement, misappropriation of an artist's style, and privacy violations. As pertinent as these concerns are, the tug-of-war between OpenAI and Studio Ghibli points to an issue far greater than the legalities of intellectual property. The surge in AI tools that promise to mimic and even outperform human cognition, creativity, perception, and emotion points to a looming crisis in our human condition.