AI Copyright Concerns Raised by OpenAI's Viral Studio Ghibli Moment
It's been just a day since ChatGPT unleashed its new AI image generator, and social media is already buzzing with AI-crafted memes styled after Studio Ghibli. You know, the iconic Japanese animation studio behind hits like "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away"? In the past 24 hours, we've seen everything from Elon Musk to "The Lord of the Rings" and even President Donald Trump reimagined in that enchanting Ghibli aesthetic. Heck, even OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, seems to have jumped on the bandwagon, sporting a Ghibli-style profile pic, probably whipped up by GPT-4o's image generator. Folks are having a blast uploading their pics and asking ChatGPT to give them a Ghibli makeover.
pic.twitter.com/M8B7eqfNzR
— Moon Parameter (@ParamMoon) March 26, 2025
This latest move by OpenAI comes hot on the heels of Google's similar AI image feature in its Gemini Flash model, which went viral earlier this month when people used it to zap watermarks off images. Both OpenAI's and Google's new tools make it a breeze to mimic the styles of copyrighted works—just type in a prompt and voila! But here's the kicker: how are these AI tools learning to copy these styles? Are they training on copyrighted stuff, and if so, is that even legal?
That's the million-dollar question fueling a bunch of lawsuits against AI model developers right now.
According to Evan Brown, an IP lawyer at Neal & McDevitt, tools like GPT-4o's image generator are kinda stuck in a legal gray area. Style itself isn't protected by copyright, so OpenAI isn't breaking the law just by making Ghibli-esque images. But, Brown reckons it's possible OpenAI trained its model on a ton of Ghibli film frames. And whether that's fair use? Well, that's still up in the air in court.
“I think this raises the same question we’ve been wrestling with for a while now,” Brown told me. “What are the copyright implications of scraping the web and stuffing it into these databases?”
The New York Times and other publishers are suing OpenAI, claiming the company trained its AI on their copyrighted works without so much as a thank you or a dime. Similar lawsuits are flying at other AI bigwigs like Meta and Midjourney.
In a statement to TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson said ChatGPT won't copy the style of living artists, but it's cool with mimicking broader studio styles. But hey, don't forget, there are living artists behind those studio styles, like Studio Ghibli's co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki.
Turns out, folks are using GPT-4o's image generator to recreate styles from other studios and artists too. Someone made a Marc Andreessen portrait in Dr. Seuss's style, and a couple even reimagined their wedding photos in Pixar's style.
studio ghibli is out, dr seuss is in pic.twitter.com/4ECxwLLkoj
— Jordi Hays (@jordihays) March 26, 2025
We put a bunch of popular AI image generators to the test—including those in Google's Gemini, xAI's Grok, and Playground.ai—to see how well they could pull off the Ghibli look. OpenAI's new tool nailed it, creating the most spot-on Ghibli-style images.
A real dog (Left) and an AI-generated image of a dog ChatGPT made in Studio Ghibli style (right).Image Credits:Maxwell Zeff/openAI For now, OpenAI's and Google's new image features are pushing the boundaries of what AI can do, and it's driving a ton of usage. OpenAI even had to delay rolling out its new image tool to free-tier users on Wednesday because of high demand. That's great for them, but we'll have to wait and see what the courts say about whether it's all above board.
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Comments (40)
0/200
![JohnGarcia]()
JohnGarcia
April 23, 2025 at 11:27:36 AM EDT
¡Los memes de Studio Ghibli generados por IA son una locura! Es genial cómo ChatGPT puede imitar ese estilo tan bien, pero también es un poco aterrador pensar en los problemas de derechos de autor. Quiero decir, es divertido ver a Totoro en nuevos escenarios, pero ¿dónde trazamos la línea? 🤔 Sin embargo, tengo que admitir, es una tecnología impresionante.
0
![DonaldSanchez]()
DonaldSanchez
April 21, 2025 at 8:19:46 AM EDT
AI로 만든 스튜디오 지브리 밈들이 정말 대단해! ChatGPT가 그 스타일을 잘 따라하는 건 멋지지만, 저작권 문제는 좀 무서워. 토토로가 새로운 상황에 등장하는 건 재미있지만, 어디서 선을 그어야 할까? 🤔 그래도 기술적으로는 꽤 인상적이야!
0
![DouglasPerez]()
DouglasPerez
April 20, 2025 at 5:06:48 PM EDT
Los memes de Studio Ghibli generados por IA son divertidísimos, pero las preocupaciones por los derechos de autor son reales. Es genial ver a la IA en acción, pero también un poco aterrador. Necesitamos reglas más claras sobre lo que está bien y lo que no. 😅🎨
0
![EdwardTaylor]()
EdwardTaylor
April 19, 2025 at 4:08:26 PM EDT
スタジオジブリのスタイルでAIが作ったメムが面白いけど、著作権の問題が気になるなあ。楽しむのはいいけど、どこまでが許されるのか分からない。もっと明確なガイドラインが必要だと思うよ。😅
0
![LawrenceJones]()
LawrenceJones
April 19, 2025 at 6:16:59 AM EDT
¡Esta herramienta de IA es una locura! Es como si Studio Ghibli hubiera tenido un cambio digital de la noche a la mañana. Los memes están muy bien, pero me preocupa un poco lo de los derechos de autor. Es divertido verlos, pero ¿dónde está el límite? 🤔 Tal vez deberían añadir un descargo de responsabilidad o algo así, solo para estar seguros.
0
![DavidRoberts]()
DavidRoberts
April 19, 2025 at 3:54:03 AM EDT
This AI tool is wild! It's like Studio Ghibli got a digital makeover overnight. The memes are so on point, but I'm kinda worried about the copyright stuff. It's fun to see, but where's the line? 🤔 Maybe they should add a disclaimer or something, just to be safe!
0
It's been just a day since ChatGPT unleashed its new AI image generator, and social media is already buzzing with AI-crafted memes styled after Studio Ghibli. You know, the iconic Japanese animation studio behind hits like "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away"? In the past 24 hours, we've seen everything from Elon Musk to "The Lord of the Rings" and even President Donald Trump reimagined in that enchanting Ghibli aesthetic. Heck, even OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, seems to have jumped on the bandwagon, sporting a Ghibli-style profile pic, probably whipped up by GPT-4o's image generator. Folks are having a blast uploading their pics and asking ChatGPT to give them a Ghibli makeover.
pic.twitter.com/M8B7eqfNzR
— Moon Parameter (@ParamMoon) March 26, 2025
This latest move by OpenAI comes hot on the heels of Google's similar AI image feature in its Gemini Flash model, which went viral earlier this month when people used it to zap watermarks off images. Both OpenAI's and Google's new tools make it a breeze to mimic the styles of copyrighted works—just type in a prompt and voila! But here's the kicker: how are these AI tools learning to copy these styles? Are they training on copyrighted stuff, and if so, is that even legal?
That's the million-dollar question fueling a bunch of lawsuits against AI model developers right now.
According to Evan Brown, an IP lawyer at Neal & McDevitt, tools like GPT-4o's image generator are kinda stuck in a legal gray area. Style itself isn't protected by copyright, so OpenAI isn't breaking the law just by making Ghibli-esque images. But, Brown reckons it's possible OpenAI trained its model on a ton of Ghibli film frames. And whether that's fair use? Well, that's still up in the air in court.
“I think this raises the same question we’ve been wrestling with for a while now,” Brown told me. “What are the copyright implications of scraping the web and stuffing it into these databases?”
The New York Times and other publishers are suing OpenAI, claiming the company trained its AI on their copyrighted works without so much as a thank you or a dime. Similar lawsuits are flying at other AI bigwigs like Meta and Midjourney.
In a statement to TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson said ChatGPT won't copy the style of living artists, but it's cool with mimicking broader studio styles. But hey, don't forget, there are living artists behind those studio styles, like Studio Ghibli's co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki.
Turns out, folks are using GPT-4o's image generator to recreate styles from other studios and artists too. Someone made a Marc Andreessen portrait in Dr. Seuss's style, and a couple even reimagined their wedding photos in Pixar's style.
studio ghibli is out, dr seuss is in pic.twitter.com/4ECxwLLkoj
— Jordi Hays (@jordihays) March 26, 2025
We put a bunch of popular AI image generators to the test—including those in Google's Gemini, xAI's Grok, and Playground.ai—to see how well they could pull off the Ghibli look. OpenAI's new tool nailed it, creating the most spot-on Ghibli-style images.
Former OpenAI Engineer Shares Insights on Company Culture and Rapid Growth
Three weeks ago, Calvin French-Owen, an engineer who contributed to a key OpenAI product, left the company.He recently shared a compelling blog post detailing his year at OpenAI, including the intense
Google Unveils Production-Ready Gemini 2.5 AI Models to Rival OpenAI in Enterprise Market
Google intensified its AI strategy Monday, launching its advanced Gemini 2.5 models for enterprise use and introducing a cost-efficient variant to compete on price and performance.The Alphabet-owned c
Meta Offers High Pay for AI Talent, Denies $100M Signing Bonuses
Meta is attracting AI researchers to its new superintelligence lab with substantial multimillion-dollar compensation packages. However, claims of $100 million "signing bonuses" are untrue, per a recru
April 23, 2025 at 11:27:36 AM EDT
¡Los memes de Studio Ghibli generados por IA son una locura! Es genial cómo ChatGPT puede imitar ese estilo tan bien, pero también es un poco aterrador pensar en los problemas de derechos de autor. Quiero decir, es divertido ver a Totoro en nuevos escenarios, pero ¿dónde trazamos la línea? 🤔 Sin embargo, tengo que admitir, es una tecnología impresionante.
0
April 21, 2025 at 8:19:46 AM EDT
AI로 만든 스튜디오 지브리 밈들이 정말 대단해! ChatGPT가 그 스타일을 잘 따라하는 건 멋지지만, 저작권 문제는 좀 무서워. 토토로가 새로운 상황에 등장하는 건 재미있지만, 어디서 선을 그어야 할까? 🤔 그래도 기술적으로는 꽤 인상적이야!
0
April 20, 2025 at 5:06:48 PM EDT
Los memes de Studio Ghibli generados por IA son divertidísimos, pero las preocupaciones por los derechos de autor son reales. Es genial ver a la IA en acción, pero también un poco aterrador. Necesitamos reglas más claras sobre lo que está bien y lo que no. 😅🎨
0
April 19, 2025 at 4:08:26 PM EDT
スタジオジブリのスタイルでAIが作ったメムが面白いけど、著作権の問題が気になるなあ。楽しむのはいいけど、どこまでが許されるのか分からない。もっと明確なガイドラインが必要だと思うよ。😅
0
April 19, 2025 at 6:16:59 AM EDT
¡Esta herramienta de IA es una locura! Es como si Studio Ghibli hubiera tenido un cambio digital de la noche a la mañana. Los memes están muy bien, pero me preocupa un poco lo de los derechos de autor. Es divertido verlos, pero ¿dónde está el límite? 🤔 Tal vez deberían añadir un descargo de responsabilidad o algo así, solo para estar seguros.
0
April 19, 2025 at 3:54:03 AM EDT
This AI tool is wild! It's like Studio Ghibli got a digital makeover overnight. The memes are so on point, but I'm kinda worried about the copyright stuff. It's fun to see, but where's the line? 🤔 Maybe they should add a disclaimer or something, just to be safe!
0
