Studio Ghibli is the home of iconic characters like Kaonashi, or No-Face, from 2001's 'Spirited Away' . | Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi / Stringer / OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, is no stranger to controversy,

OpenAI's ChatGPT recently introduced a new image generation feature, allowing users to transform images into the style of Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli), once again setting off a trend. However, high system traffic has led OpenAI to impose usage limits.

“I want legal action to be taken… I can’t stand seeing Ghibli treated so cheaply" One Piece director Megumi Ishitani has called out the Studio Ghibli AI art trend, demanding legal action against the “unauthorized” use of Miyazaki’s art pic.twitter.com/zb8n7oFOxW — Dexerto (@Dexerto) April 2, 2025

OpenAI's ChatGPT experienced immense growth following the release of its image generation feature, with users creating over 700 million images in a week. India emerged as the fastest-growing market for ChatGPT,

ChatGPT’s image generation feature has led to a trend where users create realistic action figures of themselves. While some users report mixed results, the ability to generate nuanced images has sparked interest,

The pace of ChatGPT’s development feels unstoppable but strategy and creative experts think its reputational damage could push brands towards working with real artists, while one ethical AI platform says it is ‘actively cleaning up’ OpenAI’s mess.

OpenAI's Ghibli impresses users with its ability to create detailed, hand-painted visuals reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s works.

The Ghibli-style image trend has sparked ethical debates about AI tools trained on copyrighted creative works and their impact on human artists. Legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, known for his hand-drawn style, has expressed skepticism about AI’s role in animation.