OpenAI responds to criticism of ChatGPTs Studio Ghibli-style images

After ChatGPT-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli drew criticism online, OpenAI has shared a response addressing the backlash. OpenAI released native image generation in GPT-4o earlier this week, with a live demo showing CEO Sam Altman and OpenAI staffers using ChatGPT to turn a selfie into an anime-style image that looked a whole lot like the unique and painstakingly crafted animated films of Studio Ghibli. Soon, Studio Ghibli-style versions of memes, selfies, and family photos, all automated by ChatGPT, went viral on X. Altman himself turned his X profile picture into a Studio Ghibli-esque image of himself and directly mentioned the distinct style in an X post, writing, "wake up one day to hundreds of messages: 'look i made you into a twink ghibli style haha.'" But the larger issue that troubled many users was how the artwork of Hayao Miyazaki's studio, which famously hand-paints almost every frame of their animated films, could be quickly automated and commodified for the purpose of promoting a new OpenAI product. This was especially prescient given Miyazaki's stance on AI-generated work based on a clip that went viral where Miyazaki expressed his disgust, saying, "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself." Our goal is to give users as much creative freedom as possible.