Studio Ghibli memes show OpenAI's new image generator is out of control

AI has so much to answer for, from terrible Cybertruck ads to mass job losses (according to Bill Gates). Now we can add inappropriate Studio Ghibli memes to list.

The great Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki famously detests AI image generation, so it seems particularly cutting that people are using OpenAI's latest model to 'Ghiblify' the web, turning famous images and memes into Studio Ghibli-style illustrations. The trend is already going way too far (check out the best digital art software if you want to create your own original art).

Studio Ghibli has made some of the best anime films, from Spirited Away to The Boy and The Heron. Unsurprisingly its distinct style is one that many people are keen to emulate using AI image generators. The trend has taken off on social media platforms like X after OpenAI released a new version of its image generation model in GPT.

Open AI said the incorporation of its "most advanced image generator yet" into GPT‑4o would allow AI image generation "that is not only beautiful, but useful.”

Useful? Erm... Well, people have found that it's quite good at applying a Studio Ghibli art style to uploaded reference images. People are already giving the treatment to everything from personal photos to memes, scenes from movies and famous real-life moments from news and current affairs.

Hits from the Studio Ghibli trend so far range from takes on the various ubiquitous JD Vance memes to the assassination of JFK, and the moment George W. Bush learned about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

While some AI image generators are supposed to have controls to prevent users from copying specific artistic styles or the likenesses of famous people, that doesn't seem to be the case here, as GPT-4o seems to do a fairly convincing job of evoking the Ghibli aesthetic for a wide range of prompts.

The AI’s ability to produce Ghibli-style images will worry many artists and creators who put time, effort and skill into creating unique work. Miyazaki famously described AI as "an insult to life itself" when he was shown a demo of AI image generation back in 2016. It seems unlikely that Studio Ghibli would have given OpenAI permission to use its films for training, which makes me wonder if we'll see yet another lawsuit on the way.

It's also another example of how AI tools are so difficult for even their creators to control. This is by no means the first AI image generator to be released into the wild only for its filters and controls to fail spectacularly. The release of X's Grok was total chaos.

Speaking of Grok, X's AI bot seems to be confused about whether it can also make Studio Ghibli-style art. When some users asked if it could replicate the trend, it initially said it couldn't and suggested they use its rival GPT instead. When users said they were disappointed, it then responded to say that it probably could turn an image into a Ghibli-style scene.

Want to create real anime-inspired illustrations? For tips and inspiration, see our guide to the best anime characters to draw.