Just a day after the launch of ChatGPT's AI image generator, social media is buzzing with memes styled after Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio famous for hits like "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away." Users have generated AI images depicting Studio Ghibli-style versions of public figures and characters, showcasing the tool's creativity and reach.
OpenAI's release coincided with Google launching a similar feature in its Gemini Flash model, leading to fresh concerns about copyright infringement. AI tools like these allow users to recreate copyrighted styles merely by providing text prompts, raising questions about the legality of training models on such works.
IP lawyer Evan Brown notes that while styles are not explicitly protected by copyright, it is possible that OpenAI’s model was trained on Ghibli's films. With ongoing lawsuits against OpenAI and other AI companies for using copyrighted works without permission, the legal complexities of AI-generated content continue to evolve.
