Studio Ghibli AI Art: Passing Fad Or Problematic Trend
If you have been on any social media app during the last few days, you would’ve noticed Studio Ghibli art making rounds. Like most viral trends that proliferate organically, users of the ubiquitous ChatGPT app popularized this post-post-postmodern “art” and then some. Studio Ghibli-themed images began to flood the interwebs as individuals and businesses made hay while the proverbial generative sun shone. The trend showed no signs of abatement as world leaders including The White House proudly posted cheeky results. The trend has persisted as users continue to upload their images to apps hoping to recreate their pictures. However, what began as an innocuous trend, raised several red flags with experts noting its flagrant violations of privacy, ethics and intellectual property.
Studio Ghibli: The Art Powerhouse
Heralded by filmmaker-animator Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli produced movies such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. The Japanese studio stood the test of time despite fierce competition from the likes of Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks. Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli received several accolades including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for The Boy and the Heron. The octogenarian known for his painstaking depictions of the human condition has always been critical of “unrealistic” art including the Otaku-manga subculture. In a resurfaced video, Miyazaki made his disapproval loud and clear when introduced to ‘AI art’ in 2016, calling the work “an insult to life itself.”
Studio Ghibli-fication: Whose Art Is It Anyway?
Many in the tech world praised ChatGPT’s generative capabilities and lauded the app for its ease-of-use. But, with the ‘Studio Ghiblification’ of images, the ongoing debate between machine-generated vs human art is reignited. Actress Zelda Williams took to Instagram and offered her two cents about “technological piracy and negative effects on our environment.” Williams’ comments have found sizable support among artists and fans who worry that the ‘philosophy of art’ is under attack.
Artists already forced to self-censor due to an uptick in authoritarianism worldwide understand the long-term ramifications of the trend. It has come under intense criticism with many artists espousing fear of their work being stolen and misappropriated. While Studio Ghibli promised to mount a legal battle, legal experts say the animation house has very little leverage.
Litigation for art and intellectual property isn’t unprecedented. In the past, producers, publishing houses, art galleries, engaged in legal maelstrom with artists and creators. Taylor Swift battled music producer Scooter Braun to “own her masters” after the latter (in)famously “bought” copyrights to her albums. What sets the AI art vs. artists issue apart is the ownership and whether mere ‘prompts’ are tantamount to plagiarism or theft or both.
While ‘Studio Ghiblification’ is an exciting trend to jump onto, consider the consequence of losing the ‘human’ aspect of art in all its forms.
Featured Image Credits: Matheus Bertelli/Pexels