Studio Ghibli-style AI-generated images have become a viral sensation, with users sharing their animated, hand-drawn-style portraits on social media platforms. This trend is fueled by OpenAI’s GPT-4o, which has unlocked new native image-generation capabilities, allowing for more precise and visually appealing AI-created artwork.
While OpenAI’s text-to-video generator Sora enables some users to generate Ghibli-style AI videos, access is limited to paying subscribers. However, creative users have found workarounds to create similar AI-generated videos for free using ChatGPT. As the trend continues to grow, copyright concerns have also emerged, raising questions about the legality and ethical implications of AI-generated artwork inspired by famous animation studios.
How to generate Ghibli-style AI videos
OpenAI’s Sora provides high-quality AI video generation capabilities, but it is only available to ChatGPT Plus users who pay a $20/month subscription. In response to this limitation, some users have discovered alternative methods to create short AI-generated videos for free using ChatGPT’s native image-generation and Python scripting features.
A Reddit user, u/TheKlingKong, recently demonstrated a workaround to generate frame-by-frame Ghibli-style AI videos. The method involves prompting ChatGPT to create a series of sequential images and then using its built-in Python functionality to stitch them together into a short MP4 video.
ChatGPT Ghibli style video generation request by Redditor
Steps to create Ghibli-style AI videos using ChatGPT :
Since OpenAI restricts free users from generating high-resolution AI images, the final output is often limited to short clips or GIF-format animations rather than full-length videos.
For those willing to pay, Sora provides an alternative method to create higher-quality 1080p Ghibli-style videos up to 20 seconds long in widescreen, vertical, or square aspect ratios.
Create Studio Ghibli-style images using ChatGPT
If you’re more interested in static Ghibli-style AI images, OpenAI’s ChatGPT also allows users to transform photos or create entirely new illustrations in the style of the iconic Japanese animation studio.
Steps to generate Ghibli-style images with ChatGPT:
These AI-generated images capture Ghibli’s signature art style, including hand-drawn aesthetics, soft color palettes, and vibrant storytelling elements.
Popularity of Ghibli-style AI art on social media
Since OpenAI introduced image generation capabilities in GPT-4o, social media users have widely embraced AI-generated Ghibli-style artwork. The trend has gained so much traction that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman even changed his profile picture on X (formerly Twitter) to a Ghibli-style AI portrait.
Platforms like Reddit, Instagram, and X have seen a surge in AI-created Ghibli-style images, with users experimenting with AI to reimagine their photos, pets, and even famous landmarks in the Japanese animation style.
Copyright concerns around ChatGPT’s AI-generated Ghibli images
As the trend continues, concerns about potential copyright infringement have surfaced. OpenAI’s AI models are trained on vast amounts of data, raising legal and ethical questions about whether AI-generated images that mimic well-known animation styles violate intellectual property laws.
Several high-profile copyright lawsuits are currently pending against OpenAI:
With AI-generated art becoming more sophisticated, industry experts predict that entertainment studios, including Studio Ghibli, may take legal action if AI-generated images begin to infringe on their intellectual property. Some ChatGPT users have already noticed that AI-generated Ghibli-style images are being restricted, suggesting OpenAI may be proactively limiting its liability.
