Concerns center on the potential infringement of intellectual property rights, as these AI tools are trained on copyrighted works without explicit permission from the original artists or studios.

Artists and advocates have voiced apprehensions about the impact of AI-generated art on human creativity and livelihoods.

- AGENCIES

In March 2025, the digital landscape witnessed a surge in AI-generated imagery emulating the distinctive aesthetic of Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki. This phenomenon, often referred to as "Ghiblification," saw users transforming personal photos and popular memes into visuals reminiscent of Ghibli's hand-drawn, whimsical style. While many celebrated this fusion of technology and art, it also ignited debates concerning creativity, ethics, and the preservation of artistic integrity.

GENESIS OF THE GHIBLI-STYLE AI TREND

The inception of this trend can be traced back to advancements in AI image generation models, particularly OpenAI's GPT-40. This model introduced multimodal capabilities, enabling users to generate images by providing descriptive prompts. A pivotal moment occurred when Grant Slatton, a software engineer from Seattle, shared an AI-generated image of his family rendered in the Ghibli style on social media. His post rapidly gained traction, inspiring others to create and share their own "Ghiblified" images. The overwhelming demand led OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, to announce temporary rate limits due to server strain.