Photo from 1988’s “My Neighbor Totoro” (Courtesy of IMDB and Studio Ghibli)
Rhett Kaya: From TikTok trends to the latest Taylor Swift album, there is always something CU Boulder students are obsessing over, opinionated about or adding to their vernacular. The Culture Critic will keep you up to date with the latest in entertainment and popular culture through content reviews, analysis and my self-proclaimed professional opinion.
This piece is from the CU Independent’s opinion section. Any opinions or views do not represent the CU Independent.
Founded in 1985 by directors Miyazaki Hayao and Takahata Isao and producer Suzuki Toshio, Studio Ghibli has become known for its picturesque and critically acclaimed animation – animation that requires countless hours of dedicated and intricate work. Social media users have recently sparked controversy by using artificial intelligence to translate their photos into the signature Ghibli style. AI has continuously stolen from various artists in different forms, but this blatant copying of Ghibli’s coveted style is some of the most overt.
In defense of the partakers in this trend, Studio Ghibli’s work is unparalleled, and the opportunity to translate oneself into the style is unarguably tempting. For the most part, participants have taken harmless photos of themselves with their romantic partners, families and pets, eager to see what they look like in the beautiful world Miyazaki has created. Still, everyone who utilized OpenAI’s software, typed in a prompt, and eagerly waited for the AI to present them the image discounted the hard work of Ghibli’s animators.
Seattle software engineer Grant Slatton used OpenAI’s image generation feature to translate a photo of him, his wife and his dog into the Ghibli style. Slatton then posted the photo to the social media platform X, captioning the post, “tremendous alpha right now in sending your wife photos of yall converted to studio ghibli anime.”
Slatton’s caption failed to label the photo as AI-generated, capitalize the studio name, or credit anyone at the studio. Critiquing an X post’s capitalization is nitpicky, but unfortunately for Slatton, ignorantly playing with the creative work of respected filmmakers warrants meticulous critique. What does it mean to be “tremendous alpha?” For Slatton, it means copying the art of others, or rather, programming AI to copy the art of others.
Many agree with Slatton’s perception of what it means to be a “tremendous alpha.” Various athletes, the White House and the Prime Minister of India have all utilized the software. Interestingly enough, other artists have abstained from the trend, instead condemning it. Those who have experienced the tedious artistic process understand the gravity of this situation and the harmful implications of asking AI to recreate the process.
In a 2016 documentary titled “Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki,” Miyazaki commented on the use of AI in animation, stating, “Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever. I am utterly disgusted… I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
What pain is Miyazaki referencing? Perhaps the hours and hours of hand-drawn animation that go into every frame of a Studio Ghibli film. While Ghibli’s films utilize digital animation tools as well, solely relying on AI to copy the style is particularly diminishing, considering how physically demanding the work is on Ghibli’s animators. In that same quote, Miyazaki calls AI “an insult to life itself.” This encapsulates the antithesis of Miyazaki’s artistic values. Miyazaki uses his films as a medium to tell meaningful stories and important lessons regarding environmentalism, greed, human connection and the importance of art and creativity. This AI trend takes the humanity out of the art, perpetuating the idea that technology can recreate the vibrant worlds dreamt and created by human artists.
In a now-deleted social media post, an X account posted an AI-generated “Ghiblified” scene from Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film “Oppenheimer.” Many social media users pointed out the unfortunate irony of copying a Japanese animation style on a film about the creation of the atomic bomb. While AI is not a uniquely American issue, this trend is another example of the West commodifying and copying the work of other countries. Studio Ghibli is not an aesthetic or a means to heighten white people’s individuality complexes; it’s the product of hard work, precision and genuine art. In an age where AI can trample over existing rules regarding copyright, it’s important for audiences to stand by artists and refute rather than give in to the destruction of human-made art.
Contact CU Independent Opinion Editor Rhett Kaya at rhett.kaya@colorado.edu
