As the controversy over AI and its usage in replicating popular art styles rages, another anime artist has spoken up. Henry Thurlow, a legendary animator within the industry who has worked on the likes of One Piece, Naruto, and Pokemon, took to social media to weigh in on the current Studio Ghibli AI trend.
"I'm not sure what exactly these folks making AI Ghibli images even think they're accomplishing, beyond offending & upsetting the original artists (which you'd assume they're fans of) I mean, you can't (& will never) make profitable movies w/ this stuff. It's akin to trolling," Thurlow wrote on social media.
When challenged by a fellow social media user that some people are just doing it for fun and that ChatGPT allows people to quickly bring their ideas to life, Thurlow had an even more scathing response: "If you don’t have the time to dedicate to becoming an amazing chef, you don’t deserve a Michelin star. If you don’t have time to dedicate to acting, you don’t deserve an Oscar. And if you don’t have the time to dedicate to animation/art, then stay the f**k out of my industry."
Thurlow then clarified that his comments aren't necessarily directed at those who are using it "just to laugh with friends about," but rather those who are using AI and other similar software "to advance a career (or scheme)."
Thurlow is one of many animators who have weighed in on the AI controversy, which really picked up traction following the recent release of OpenAI's 4o image generation. Described as OpenAI's "most advanced image generator yet," the multimodal model is capable of producing "precise, accurate, photorealistic outputs." Many users have used it to quickly and easily create images inspired by some of the world's most famous artistic styles.
A popular choice of late has been Studio Ghibli's hand-drawn style. People are using GPT-4o to create all sorts of images and memes in the iconic art style of Studio Ghibli. We've seen images of political figures, celebrities, athletes, and even historical events all recreated in Studio Ghibli's soft, painterly style — and sadly, not all of it has been appropriate.
The trend has been met with mixed responses. While some celebrate the impressive AI capabilities, others argue it's an insult to true art. It's also raised concerns about AI copyright, as these models are often trained using other people's work without paying them.
Although Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki has not directly responded to this specific GPT-4o trend, he has previously weighed in on the use of AI-generated animation. In a 2016 NHK special that has resurface amid the debate, Miyazaki is seen calling AI-generated art "an insult to life itself."