"An Insult to Life Itself" – Why Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki was outraged and Why it matters?

Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio founded in 1985 by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, has captivated audiences worldwide with its distinct artistic vision.

The studio is celebrated for its beautifully hand-drawn animations featuring emotionally rich narratives, meticulously detailed backgrounds, and expressive characters that transport viewers to imaginative worlds.

In 2003, "Spirited Away" made history by winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, becoming the first and only non-English animated film to achieve this prestigious honor.

Miyazaki's Strong Stance Against AI

When confronted with AI-generated animation during an interview, Miyazaki didn't mince words: "I can't watch this stuff and find it interesting. Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever. I am utterly disgusted."

He further declared AI imaging to be "an insult to life itself."

This week, the internet was flooded with Studio Ghibli-style images after ChatGPT-4o allowed users to replicate any image with the distinct artistic style of Studio Ghibli.

What took Miyazaki and his team 40+ years of practicing and refining their craft was trained and replicated by machines, probably in less than 40 hours.

The Picasso Parallel

This situation echoes a famous story about Pablo Picasso in the pre-AI era.

Legend has it that Picasso was dining at a Paris restaurant when an admirer approached and asked if he could do a quick sketch on a paper napkin for her.

Picasso politely agreed, promptly created a drawing, and handed back the napkin — but not before asking for 5 million Francs.

The lady was shocked: "How can you ask for so much? It took you five minutes to draw this!"

"No," Picasso replied, "It took me 50 years to draw this in five minutes."

Adapting to the AI Era

The business model of creative work will have to adapt to the AI era.

Today, artists like Picasso and Miyazaki would need to license their creativity to AI platforms.

Even if they charged a modest 10p for each image, within 24 hours, the earnings would likely surpass their lifetime earnings.

This proposition is undoubtedly repulsive and runs counter to the very essence of artistic integrity.

Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, once technology is out of the bag—like toothpaste from a tube—there’s no putting it back.

Change is irreversible. We have to adapt instead of simply lamenting what's been lost.

Read all my “Notes to Self” at view all blogs.