Ghibli Craze: Artistry Meets AI

The recent surge in Ghibli-inspired AI art, sparked by OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT update in March 2025, has ignited both fascination and unease. Fans have flooded social media with images—selfies, family portraits, and even memes—transformed into the whimsical, hand-drawn aesthetic of Studio Ghibli’s legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. In seconds, a mundane photo can resemble a frame from My Neighbour Totoro or Spirited Away. Yet beneath the playful trend lies a deeper tension: what does this mean for Miyazaki’s legacy and the broader landscape of human creativity?

Miyazaki’s films are labours of love, crafted over years with meticulous hand-drawn frames and an almost spiritual devotion to detail. This slow artistry stands in stark contrast to AI’s ability to mimic it instantly. The technology’s realism—perhaps the closest yet to capturing Ghibli’s essence—has thrilled users, with even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joining the craze, swapping his X profile picture for a “Ghiblified” selfie. But the trend isn’t all lighthearted. Some have pushed the tool into darker territory, generating images of historical tragedies like 9/11 or George Floyd’s murder in Miyazaki’s style, raising ethical questions about the boundaries of such technology.

For Miyazaki, who once called AI “an insult to life itself” in a 2016 documentary, this moment might feel like a betrayal. His words resurfaced online as the filter gained traction, echoing a sentiment shared by many artists today. The painstaking process behind his work, rooted in human experience and emotion, seems diminished when a machine can replicate it on demand. Studio Ghibli’s style, once a testament to human imagination, now risks becoming a casual filter, stripped of its soul.

This isn’t just about Miyazaki. The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has rattled creative industries. In 2024, over 10,000 artists—including Kazuo Ishiguro, Julianne Moore, and Thom Yorke—signed a letter decrying the unlicensed use of their work to train AI models. They argue that such technology exploits human achievement, commodifying art without consent. Recent X posts reflect similar unease, with users lamenting how AI flattens cultural milestones into quick, disposable outputs.

Yet, the Ghibli craze also hints at AI’s potential to democratize creativity, letting fans engage with beloved aesthetics in new ways. The challenge lies in balance—honoring the original creators while navigating this uncharted frontier. For Miyazaki and countless others, the question remains: can AI amplify art without eroding its humanity? As of now, the answer is as elusive as the wind in Nausicaä.