As AI-generated Studio Ghibli-style artwork floods social media thanks to ChatGPT’s new image-generation update, an old video of Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki has resurfaced—where he calls such creations an “insult to life itself.”
The clip, originally aired during a Studio Ghibli presentation, features Miyazaki reacting to an animation made by artificial intelligence. Developers showcased a zombie-like figure moving unnaturally, explaining the AI had created motions humans could not replicate. One presenter suggested the grotesque imagery could be used in video games.
Since this utter garbage is trending, we should take a look at what Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Studio Ghibli, said about machine created art. https://t.co/1TMPcFGIJE pic.twitter.com/IvaM9WZL3T
— Nuberodesign (@nuberodesign) March 26, 2025
Miyazaki, visibly disturbed, compared the animation’s movements to the struggles of a disabled friend who found simple gestures painful. “Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever,” he said. “I am utterly disgusted. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.” He concluded, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
The video has gone viral once again as users on X, formerly Twitter, flood timelines with AI-generated Ghibli-style portraits of themselves. Many are using OpenAI’s GPT-4o, the model behind the trending artwork. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has changed his profile picture to a Ghibli-inspired version of himself.
Despite Miyazaki’s criticism, the trend has reignited discussions around AI’s role in art, especially how far machines should be allowed to interpret human emotion and creativity. While fans enjoy the novelty, critics are using Miyazaki’s remarks to question the ethics and artistic value of AI-generated imagery.
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