Japan debates legality of AI-generarated Studio Ghibli art

Japanese lawmakers are debating whether AI-generated artwork mimicking Studio Ghibli’s famous animation style could become illegal.

The discussion was sparked by a rise in AI tools like ChatGPT and image generators creating Ghibli-style visuals, raising concerns about copyright infringement.

In a recent government committee meeting, a lawmaker questioned if the popular “Ghiblification” trend crosses legal boundaries.

A ministry official responded that while artistic styles and ideas are not protected by copyright, using AI to generate images that strongly resemble specific Ghibli works might be.

However, proving such infringement is complex. Studio Ghibli has employed at least 15 different character designers, making it hard to define what exactly counts as a single “Ghibli style.”

Critics argue that the studio’s look is a shared artistic language rather than the work of a single hand, complicating legal efforts to draw clear lines.

Currently, the Japanese government is not moving to ban Ghibli-style AI art outright.

But experts warn that commercialising such work could still carry legal risk, even if sharing or creating it casually remains in a grey area.