Ghibli Trend Sparks Record ChatGPT Use Amid Key Risks

Following the debut of ChatGPT's new image-generation feature, user engagement has skyrocketed, with millions drawn to the trend of uploading images inspired by Studio Ghibli's singular visual aesthetic.

This surge in interest drove record-breaking activity for the chatbot, temporarily overwhelming OpenAI's technical infrastructure.

Social media platforms were quickly saturated with AI-created images mimicking the style of the celebrated Japanese animation studio, famed for films like *Spirited Away* and *My Neighbor Totoro*. According to Similarweb, weekly active ChatGPT users surpassed 150 million this year for the first time.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman noted that in early April, the chatbot attracted one million users in just one hour – a milestone that the original, text-only ChatGPT had taken five days to achieve after its initial launch.

Data from SensorTower confirms a significant increase in app usage. Following the GPT-4o update, which introduced new image-generation capabilities, weekly active users, app downloads, and in-app revenue all reached unprecedented levels last week. Downloads increased by 11%, active users grew by 5%, and revenue was up 6% compared to the end of March.

The tool's immense popularity led to slower performance and sporadic service outages. OpenAI acknowledged the strain, with Altman stating that users may experience delayed feature releases and occasional interruptions as the company works to resolve capacity constraints.

Legal concerns arise over ChatGPT's Ghibli-inspired AI artwork

The viral spread of Studio Ghibli-style AI images created through OpenAI's ChatGPT has prompted copyright-related questions. Legal specialists highlight that while artistic styles may not always be legally protected, creating a near-identical reproduction of a distinctive style could venture into a legal grey area.

“The legal territory for AI-generated images that imitate Studio Ghibli's unique style is uncharted. Copyright law has historically safeguarded specific expressions of ideas rather than styles themselves,” explained Evan Brown, a partner at the law firm Neal & McDevitt.

Past remarks from Hayao Miyazaki have also reemerged. In 2016, the Studio Ghibli co-founder reacted to early AI-generated art by stating, “I am utterly disgusted. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.”

OpenAI has not publicly commented on whether the model powering its image generator was trained using material similar to Ghibli's films.

Data privacy and personal risks

This trend has also brought user privacy and data security into focus. Christoph C. Cemper, founder of AIPRM, an AI prompt management company, warned that uploading a photo for artistic alteration might carry greater risks than many users anticipate.

“When you upload a photo to an AI art generator, you are providing your biometric data—your face. Some AI platforms store this information, use it to train future models, or even sell it to other companies. You might not be fully aware of these practices unless you carefully read the terms of service,” Cemper stated.

OpenAI's privacy policy confirms the collection of personal information and usage data, which includes images and other content submitted by users. Unless a user opts out of data collection for training or requests data deletion via their account settings, this content may be retained and used to enhance future AI models.

Cemper added that once a facial image is uploaded, it becomes susceptible to potential misuse. This data could be harvested, exposed in a breach, or exploited for identity theft, deepfake creation, and other impersonation fraud. He also referenced previous incidents where private images were discovered in public AI datasets such as LAION-5B, which is used to train models like Stable Diffusion.

Copyright and licensing issues

There are also worries that AI-generated content imitating well-known artistic brands could potentially infringe on copyright. While creating artwork in the style of Studio Ghibli, Disney, or Pixar might appear innocuous, legal experts caution that such output could be deemed derivative, particularly if the imitation is too direct.

In 2022, a group of artists initiated a class-action lawsuit against several AI companies, alleging that their models were trained on original artwork without permission. These legal actions reflect a wider debate about balancing technological innovation with the rights of creators as generative AI becomes more pervasive.

Cemper also advised users to meticulously review the terms of service on AI platforms. Many contain licensing terms with phrases like “transferable rights,” “non-exclusive,” or “irrevocable license,” which can grant the platform permission to reproduce, alter, or distribute user-submitted content—sometimes even after the app has been deleted.

“The launch of ChatGPT’s 4o image generator demonstrates the remarkable power of AI, enabling the replication of iconic artistic styles with just a few clicks. Yet this unprecedented capability brings growing risks—the boundary between creative expression and copyright infringement is becoming less distinct,” Cemper remarked.

“The swift advancement of AI also intensifies important questions about privacy and data protection. There is an urgent need for more transparent and understandable privacy policies. Users should have the ability to make well-informed choices about sharing their photos or personal information.”

Online searches for “ChatGPT Studio Ghibli” have surged by over 1,200% in the past week. However, alongside the creative boom and viral popularity, significant concerns regarding privacy, copyright, and data usage are emerging. As AI imaging tools become more sophisticated and widely available, users should consider the potential consequences before uploading personal photos, particularly if they are uncertain about how their data might eventually be used.

See also: Midjourney V7: Faster AI image generation

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