So, over the past week, OpenAI’s AI tool, ChatGPT, got everyone talking when people from all over the world started making images that looked like they were straight out of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films. What kicked off as a fun trend quickly turned into a big debate about copyright, artistic integrity, and what AI’s place is in the creative world.
As the trend spread, people were shocked to see the accuracy with which AI-created images captured Ghibli’s unmistakable style. This raised concerns about whether OpenAI’s models had been trained on Ghibli material that was copyrighted, leading to speculations of possible legal repercussions.
OpenAI reacted by imposing limits, making it harder to generate Ghibli-style images, further fueling the controversy. Several legal experts weighed in on whether Studio Ghibli could sue OpenAI for trademark infringement and unfair competition. Moreover, the case highlights several other broader issues regarding AI, copyright law, and ethical responsibilities in tech.
The rise of AI-generated Studio Ghibli art: Hayao Miyazaki’s stance and copyright concerns
OpenAI’s new AI image generator went viral when people started making beautiful Studio Ghibli-style artwork. The technology, embedded in the GPT-4o model, enabled people to create beautiful, hand-drawn-style images reminiscent of classics like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. However, this wave of creativity quickly turned into a legal and ethical debate.
Studio Ghibli, the brainchild of iconic filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, is famous for its rigid adherence to artistic integrity and tradition-oriented animation. The studio has already responded unfavorably to AI-generated art, and Miyazaki himself has called AI art an “insult to life itself.”
Several legal experts have also come forward and pointed out that while OpenAI hasn’t come out and said it trained its AI models on Ghibli’s content, the very close output makes you wonder if copyrighted content was part of the training data.
One such AI and intellectual property attorney Rob Rosenberg commented that OpenAI might be ‘trading off the goodwill of Ghibli’s trademarks,’ confusing consumers and harming the studio’s ownership of its artistic legacy. He told Futurism,
Ghibli could argue that by converting user photos to ‘Ghibli-style,’ OpenAI is trading off the goodwill of Ghibli’s trademarks, using Ghibli’s identifiable style and leading to a likelihood of confusion among consumers that this function is endorsed or licensed by Studio Ghibli.
This brings up the whole question of whether AI-generated images are derivative works, and thus actually copyrightable. Rosenberg added,
As most courts have not yet ruled on the strength of similar copyright claims, it is unclear whether they would prove successful or not. If OpenAI were marketing its platform as a place where consumers could go to turn their photos into ‘Ghibli-style’ anime, that fact would weigh more strongly in favor of a court finding that OpenAI’s conduct violated the Lanham Act.
Meanwhile, The Lanham Act, enacted in 1946, is the primary federal statute governing trademark law in the US and establishes a national system of trademark registration that allows owners to sue for infringement.
As the controversy escalated, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the issue, stating that the company is respectful of artists’ rights and has placed restrictions to prevent outright copying of copyrighted looks. OpenAI also imposed limits on generating images that closely match Studio Ghibli’s look.
The future of AI and copyright in animation
While there has been speculation about a potential lawsuit, as of March 2025, Studio Ghibli hasn’t actually done anything legally against OpenAI. Nevertheless, the whole thing is a big talking point in the ongoing debate on AI and copyright law.
Other companies and creators have already sued AI developers for supposedly using their copyrighted content without permission, and legal experts think we may already begin to see the same issues pop up in the animation world as well.
(also, we are refusing some generations that should be allowed; we are fixing these as fast we can.)
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 27, 2025
Beyond legal issues, the controversy also raises broader questions of ethics regarding AI art. Critics say that AI deprives human artists of copying their styles without adequate recognition or pay. Others contend that AI is merely a tool, like Photoshop or digital painting software that aids creativity rather than replacing it.
Studio Ghibli’s philosophy is closely tied to the philosophy of hand-drawn animation, which makes this discussion a lot more relevant. If the AI can produce Ghibli’s work as easily, is it devaluing the talent of professional animators? Or is it opening up new avenues for new artists to experiment?
The whole OpenAI Ghibli-style image thing has kicked off a big debate about how AI is shaking up creative industries. As AI keeps getting better, we really need some solid laws to keep artists safe while still letting creativity flow. No matter if Studio Ghibli decides to sue or not, this situation is a big deal for figuring out where human creativity ends and AI starts.
Most of the Studio Ghibli films are available to watch on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
