OpenAI’s Viral Studio Ghibli-Inspired Creation Sparks AI Copyright Debate

Just a day after ChatGPT’s new AI image generator launched, social media is overflowing with AI-created memes mimicking the style of Studio Ghibli, the beloved Japanese animation studio behind hits like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away.

In the past 24 hours, users have shared Studio Ghibli-style AI renditions of Elon Musk, The Lord of the Rings, and former President Donald Trump. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appears to have set a Ghibli-style AI image as his new profile picture, likely generated with GPT-4o’s built-in image tool. Many users are experimenting by uploading existing images and asking ChatGPT to transform them into different artistic styles.

OpenAI’s latest update follows Google’s recent launch of a similar AI image feature in its Gemini Flash model, which went viral in March when users discovered it could remove watermarks from images.

Generative AI and Copyright

Both OpenAI and Google’s tools make it easier than ever to replicate copyrighted styles with a simple text prompt, reigniting legal debates surrounding generative AI. The core issue in several ongoing lawsuits is whether training AI on copyrighted works constitutes a copyright violation.

Evan Brown, an intellectual property lawyer at Neal & McDevitt, explains that AI-generated images mimicking Studio Ghibli’s style exist in a legal gray area. Copyright law doesn’t explicitly protect artistic styles, meaning OpenAI may not be breaking the law simply by generating similar-looking images. However, Brown notes that OpenAI could have achieved this effect by training on frames from Ghibli’s films—an issue courts are still determining under fair use doctrine.

Legal battles over AI training data are ongoing, with The New York Times and other publishers suing OpenAI for allegedly using copyrighted content without permission. Similar lawsuits have been filed against Meta and AI image-generator Midjourney.

OpenAI’s Policy on Artistic Styles Sparks Further Questions

In response, OpenAI told TechCrunch that ChatGPT won’t replicate “the style of individual living artists” but does allow “broader studio styles.” However, this raises further questions since some studios, like Studio Ghibli, have living artists—such as co-founder Hayao Miyazaki—who defined their signature aesthetics.

Users have already pushed the limits of GPT-4o’s image generation, creating AI portraits in styles reminiscent of Dr. Seuss and Pixar, including a Marc Andreessen caricature and wedding photos reimagined in animated form.

We tested several popular AI image generators, including those in Google’s Gemini, xAI’s Grok, and Playground.ai, to evaluate their ability to mimic Studio Ghibli’s style. OpenAI’s new image generator produced the most accurate replication of the studio’s signature look.

For now, OpenAI’s and Google’s latest image-generation tools mark a significant advancement in AI capabilities, fueling a surge in user engagement. Due to overwhelming demand, OpenAI postponed the rollout of its new image feature for free-tier users on Wednesday. While user growth is a key priority for these companies, the legal implications remain uncertain as courts continue to deliberate.

Read the original article on: TechCrunch

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