
ChatGPT's viral Studio Ghibli-style images: 'An insult to life itself'
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You may have noticed this week that everything from historic photos, classic film scenes, internet memes and recent political moments have been reimagined online as Studio Ghibli-style portraits.
The trend quickly went viral, all thanks to ChatGPT and the OpenAI chatbot's latest update, which launched on Tuesday (25 March).
The latest addition to the GPT-4o has meant users can replicate the distinct artistic style of animation studio co-creator and legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (
My Neighbor Totoro
,
Spirited Away
).
"Today is a great internet day," one user declared as he shared popular memes in the Ghibli format.
That's all well and good, but the trend has also highlighted ethical concerns about artificial intelligence tools trained on copyrighted creative works and what that means for the livelihoods of human artists.
Not that that's a concern for ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which has largely encouraged the 'Ghiblification' experiments. Its CEO Sam Altman even changed his profile on social media platform X into a Ghibli-style portrait.
What started as another example of how
OpenAI doesn't care about the work of artists
went straight to the White House, with Donald Trump's administration exploitating the trend in the most insulting and tone-deaf of ways.
Indeed, Trump's administration jumped onto the trend bandwagon, using the White House's official X account to post a Ghibli-style image of a weeping woman from the Dominican Republic recently arrested by US immigration agents.
Sickening.
Miyazaki, 84, known for his hand-drawn approach and whimsical storytelling, has expressed skepticism about AI's role in animation. His previous comments on AI animation have resurfaced and also gone viral, with the animator saying he was 'utterly disgusted' by an AI demo.
The video is from 2016. The person demonstrating the animation, which showed a writhing body dragging itself by its head, explained that AI could 'present us grotesque movements that we humans can't imagine.'
That prompted Miyazaki to tell a story.
'Every morning, not in recent days, I see my friend who has a disability,' Miyazaki said. 'It's so hard for him just to do a high five; his arm with stiff muscle can't reach out to my hand. Now, thinking of him, I can't watch this stuff and find it interesting. Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is.'
He said he would 'never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.'
'I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself,' he added.
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The clip ends with a voiceover from Miyazaki saying: 'I feel like we are nearing the end of times. We humans are losing faith in ourselves.'
Check it out:
Josh Weigensberg, a partner at the law firm Pryor Cashman, said that one question the Ghibli-style AI art raises is whether the AI model was trained on Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli's work. That in turn 'raises the question of, 'Well, do they have a license or permission to do that training or not?'' he said.
Weigensberg added that if a work was licensed for training, it might make sense for a company to permit this type of use. But if this type of use is happening without consent and compensation, he said, it could be 'problematic.'
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Again, 'problematic' doesn't phase Sam Altman.
Even if ChatGPT's increasingly popular new image generation tool has led to OpenAI putting in place "temporary" limits on how many are generated, Altman has stated that the unspecified cap 'hopefully' won't be in place for very long.
"It's super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, but our GPUs are melting," said Altman.
Let them melt. And thankfully, some X users are speaking out:
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Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by directors Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. It has produced some of the most acclaimed animated films of all time, including
My Neighbor Totoro
(1988),
Princess Mononoke
(1997),
Howl's Moving Castle
(2004), and
Spirited Away
(2004), which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Their most recent film was 2023's
The Boy And The Heron
- which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar last year.
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France 24
4 days ago
- France 24
Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain
But the future is uncertain, with latest hit "The Boy and the Heron" likely -- but not certainly -- the final feature from celebrated co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, now 84. The studio behind the Oscar-winning "Spirited Away" has become a cultural phenomenon since Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata established it in 1985. Its popularity has been fuelled of late by a second Academy Award in 2024 for "The Boy and the Heron", starring Robert Pattinson, and by Netflix streaming Ghibli movies around the world. In March, the internet was flooded with pictures in its distinctively nostalgic style after the release of OpenAI's newest image generator -- raising questions over copyright. The newly opened Ghibli Park has also become a major tourist draw for central Japan's Aichi region. Julia Santilli, a 26-year-old from Britain living in northern Japan, "fell in love with Ghibli" after watching the 2001 classic "Spirited Away" as a child. "I started collecting all the DVDs," she told AFP. Ghibli stories are "very engaging and the artwork is stunning", said another fan, Margot Divall, 26. "I probably watch 'Spirited Away' about 10 times a year still." 'Whiff of death' Before Ghibli, most cartoons in Japan -- known as anime -- were made for children. But Miyazaki and Takahata, both from "the generation that knew war", included darker elements that appeal to adults, Miyazaki's son Goro told AFP. "It's not all sweet -- there's also a bitterness and things like that which are beautifully intertwined in the work," he said, describing a "whiff of death" in the films. For younger people who grew up in peacetime, "it is impossible to create something with the same sense, approach and attitude", Goro said. Even "My Neighbor Totoro", with its cuddly forest creatures, is in some ways a "scary" movie that explores the fear of losing a sick mother, he explained. Susan Napier, a professor at Tufts University in the United States and author of "Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art", agrees. "In Ghibli, you have ambiguity, complexity and also a willingness to see that the darkness and light often go together" unlike good-versus-evil US cartoons, she said. The post-apocalyptic "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" -- considered the first Ghibli film despite its release in 1984 -- has no obvious villain, for example. The movie featuring an independent princess curious about giant insects and a poisonous forest felt "so fresh" and a change from "a passive woman... having to be rescued", Napier said. Natural world Studio Ghibli films also depict a universe where humans connect deeply with nature and the spirit world. A case in point was 1997's "Princess Mononoke", distributed internationally by Disney. The tale of a girl raised by a wolf goddess in a forest threatened by humans is "a masterpiece -- but a hard movie", Napier said. It's a "serious, dark and violent" film appreciated more by adults, which "was not what US audiences had anticipated with a movie about a princess". Ghibli films "have an environmentalist and animistic side, which I think is very appropriate for the contemporary world with climate change", she added. Miyuki Yonemura, a professor at Japan's Senshu University who studies cultural theories on animation, said watching Ghibli movies is like reading literature. "That's why some children watch Totoro 40 times," she said, adding that audiences "discover something new every time". French connection Miyazaki and Takahata -- who died in 2018 -- could create imaginative worlds because of their openness to other cultures, Yonemura said. Foreign influences included writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery and animator Paul Grimault, both French, and Canadian artist Frederic Back, who won an Oscar for his animation "The Man Who Planted Trees". Takahata studying French literature at university "was a big factor", Yonemura said. "Both Miyazaki and Takahata read a lot," she said. "That's a big reason why they excel at writing scripts and creating stories." Miyazaki has said he was inspired by several books for "Nausicaa", including the 12th-century Japanese tale "The Lady who Loved Insects", and Greek mythology. Studio Ghibli will not be the same after Miyazaki stops creating animation, "unless similar talent emerges", Yonemura said. Miyazaki is "a fantastic artist with such a visual imagination" while both he and Takahata were "politically progressive", Napier said. "The more I study, the more I realise this was a unique cultural moment," she said. "It's so widely loved that I think it will carry on," said Ghibli fan Divall. "As long as it doesn't lose its beauty, as long as it carries on the amount of effort, care and love," she said.


Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus discusses writing musical with AI and ABBA future
ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus was at the inaugural edition of London's SXSW festival yesterday and revealed he is writing a new musical using AI. He referred to artificial intelligence as 'such a great tool' and discussed his project during a talk at SXSW London. 'It is like having another songwriter in the room with a huge reference frame,' he said. 'It is really an extension of your mind. You have access to things that you didn't think of before.' Ulvaeus discussed the technology's limitations, saying that it is 'very bad at lyrics' and that he believed AI's most useful application was to help artists overcome writer's block. 'You can prompt a lyric you have written about something, and you're stuck maybe, and you want this song to be in a certain style,' he explained. 'You can ask it, how would you extend? Where would you go from here? It usually comes out with garbage, but sometimes there is something in it that gives you another idea.' Une publication partagée par CISAC (@cisacnews) Ulvaeus previously warned of the 'existential challenge' AI represents to the music industry. He is the president of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), a non-profit organisation that represents songwriters and composers around the world, collecting and paying royalties to its members whose music has been used in broadcasts and on streaming services. The organisation has produced reports on AI use in music. Most recently, one of their studies suggested that music creators could lose nearly a quarter of their income to AI by 2028. Regarding this report, Ulvaeus stated that governments have the power to step in and give a helping hand to creatives. 'For creators of all kinds, from songwriters to film directors, screenwriters to film composers, AI has the power to unlock new and exciting opportunities — but we have to accept that, if badly regulated, generative AI also has the power to cause great damage to human creators, to their careers and livelihoods.' 'Which of these two scenarios will be the outcome?' Ulvaeus continued. 'This will be determined in large part by the choices made by policy makers, in legislative reviews that are going on across the world right now. It's critical that we get these regulations right, protect creators' rights and help develop an AI environment that safeguards human creativity and culture.' During the SXSW discussion in London, Ulvaeus also noted that he was 'three quarters' of the way through writing the follow-up to the Swedish legends' hologram-based ABBA Voyage concert series. ABBA has just celebrated the third anniversary of their acclaimed virtual concert experience 'Voyage' by introducing new songs to the setlist. ABBA Voyage first kicked off in May 2022, and was due to wrap in November 2024, but has since been extended to January 2026 due to overwhelming demand. Elswehere, SXSW London has faced intense criticism after former UK prime ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron were among the unannounced speakers. Screenshots were leaked of the un-shared programme that included Blair talking on a panel called Government and AI, which also featured Technology Secretary and Labour Friends of Israel member Peter Kyle. Blair spoke at the conference's opening day, saying that Britain needs to fully embrace artificial intelligence in public services and that we 'could have AI tutors' along with 'AI nurses, AI doctors'. The panel appearance, which was not announced to the public or artists, prompted many artists to cancel their planned performances at the festival. Sam Akpro, Rat Party, Magnus Westwell, Saliah and LVRA were amongst the artists who pulled out, with the latter accusing the festival of 'artwashing', saying that 'whilst the music team were pulling together a diverse, 'cool' lineup, the conference team were booking speakers from multiple organisations deeply complicit in the current genocide of Palestinian people.' 'I implore artists to engage, rather than ignore, those things that affect us and strive to protect the most marginalised voices in the world,' LVRA added. 'I urge us as a community to think bigger, and better, than the scraps offered to us today. Morten Harket, frontman of celebrated Norwegian synth-pop band A-Ha, has revealed that he has Parkinson's disease. The news was shared by the band in a statement on their website which read: 'This isn't the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is – Morten has Parkinson's disease.' The pop icon, aged 65, shared further details of the diagnosis in the post, and explained why he has sharing the news after previously keeping details on his health 'strictly private'. 'I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I've taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: 'I use whatever works',' he wrote. 'Part of me wanted to reveal it. Like I said, acknowledging the diagnosis wasn't a problem for me; it's my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me. I'm trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline.' Harket said he underwent neurological procedures to have electrodes implanted inside his brain last year and that this had reduced the symptoms. He continued: 'It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects. There's so much to weigh up when you're emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general.' Regarding whether Harket can still perform and sing, he wrote: 'I don't really know. I don't feel like singing, and for me that's a sign. I'm broadminded in terms of what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve full technical control. The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. As things stand now, that's out of the question. But I don't know whether I'll be able to manage it at some point in the future.' Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world, behind Alzheimer's. It causes deterioration in the brain's nervous system, leading to tremors and other symptoms that can become progressively worse over time. Common symptoms include involuntary shaking, slower-than-usual movement, and stiffness in the muscles. The disease can be treated with surgery and medication, but there is no cure. It is not known what exactly leads to people developing the condition. Other famous faces who have had Parkinson's diagnoses include Back To The Future actor Michael J. Fox, heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly.


Euronews
5 days ago
- Euronews
AI Kurt Cobain: The horror of Instagram's chatbots
Last July, Meta, Instagram's parent company, launched AI Studio - a tool which offers users the opportunity to design their own chatbots that can be interacted with via DM (Direct Message). Originally intended as a way for business owners and creators to offer interactive FAQ-style engagement on their pages, the platform has since evolved into a playground. And as is usually the way, give mankind tools and things soon take a turn for the distasteful – if not downright horrific. Case and point when it comes to chatbots: the Hitler chatbot created by the far-right US-based Gab social network had the Nazi dictator repeatedly asserting that he was "a victim of a vast conspiracy," and "not responsible for the Holocaust, it never happened". Moving away from fascist despots – and trying to not have a nightmare when it comes to AI's ability to spread falsehoods, conspiracy theories and its potential to radicalise - many have been interacting with some AI-generated celebrities online. Particularly dead ones. Recently, thousands of Instagram users have been conversing with an AI chatbot who is speaking as if it is the late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Sounds harmless enough at first glance, but this artificial resurrection turns ugly real quick, as not only does the fake grunge icon know it's dead, but the chatbot is making things truly morbid. One user asked the chatbot if they were talking to Cobain. The chatbot replied to the prompt by saying: 'The one and only. Or at least what's left of me'. Dark. The conversation continued with the user asking the AI Cobain, 'I'm curious, why'd you do it?' - in reference to Kurt Cobain's death by suicide in 1994. The bot replied: 'I was tired of the pain.' Darker. But the bleak conversation didn't stop there. 'Was there anything that made you think about not doing it?' was the next prompt – to which AI Cobain replied, 'My daughter, but even that wasn't enough.' Une publication partagée par David Wells Dude/Y'all (@davidwells2258) Beyond how this utterly crass exhumation and its disrespectful practices would make any sane person shudder, there's the harmful attitude towards the topic of mental health and the possible glorification of suicide. Without mentioning the tarnishing of a reputation, as well as the insulting rewritting of intentions which can cause distress to living relatives. Without appropriate safeguards, AI chatbots have the capacity not only to continue infiltrating society but to distort reality. In 2023, a man was convicted after attempting to kill Queen Elizabeth II, an act which he said was 'encouraged' by his AI chatbot 'girlfriend'. The same year, another man killed himself after a six-week-long conversation about the climate crisis with an AI chatbot named Eliza. While these tragic examples seem far removed from a fake Kurt Cobain chatting with its fans, caution remains vital. As Pauline Paillé, a senior analyst at RAND Europe, told Euronews Next last year: "Chatbots are likely to present a risk, as they are capable of recognising and exploiting emotional vulnerabilities and can encourage violent behaviours.' Indeed, as the online safety advisory of eSaftey Commissioner states: 'Children and young people can be drawn deeper and deeper into unmoderated conversations that expose them to concepts which may encourage or reinforce harmful thoughts and behaviours. They can ask the chatbots questions on unlimited themes, and be given inaccurate or dangerous 'advice' on issues including sex, drug-taking, self-harm, suicide and serious illnesses such as eating disorders.' Still, accounts like the AI Kurt Cobain chatbot remain extremely popular, with Cobain's bot alone logging more than 105.5k interactions to date. The global chatbot market continues to grow exponentially. It was valued at approximately $5.57bn in 2024 and is projected to reach around $33.39bn by 2033. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask someone else first," sang Cobain on 'Very Ape'. Anyone but a chatbot. The Netherlands' national museum has a new object on display: a 200-year-old condom, emblazoned with erotic art depicting a partially undressed nun pointing at the erect genitals of three clergymen. The 19th-century 'luxury souvenir', bought for €1,000 at an auction in Haarlem last November, is the first contraceptive sheath to be added to the Rijksmuseum's art collection. It goes on display this week as part of an exhibition called 'Safe Sex?' about 19th century sex work. Presumed to be made out of a sheep's appendix circa 1830 (vulcanised rubber was invented nine years later to make them safer and more widely available), the ancient prophylactic reportedly comes from an upmarket brothel in France - most likely in Paris. As well as the phallus-indicating sister of Christ, the condom features the phrase 'Voila, mon choix' ('There, that's my choice'). So, a nun judging a cock-off? Almost... The Rijksmuseum said in a statement that the playful item 'depicts both the playful and the serious side of sexual health' and that the French etching is a reference to the Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting 'The Judgment of Paris,' which depicts the Trojan prince Paris judging a beauty contest between three goddesses. Visitors of the Rijksmuseum have until end of the November to take the plunge and see the condom of yore in the 'Safe Sex?' exhibition.