As the latest AI-generated art trend takes social media by storm, a viral video of Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki has reignited a debate about artificial intelligence in animation. Miyazaki, known for creating beloved films such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro, expressed his strong disapproval of AI-generated animation in an old video. While the digital art world embraces AI innovations, Miyazaki’s comments have sparked a reflection on the emotional depth and human experience that artificial intelligence fails to grasp.
Miyazaki’s Strong Opposition to AI Animation
Recently, a viral video has resurfaced showing Hayao Miyazaki sharing his thoughts on AI in animation. In the video, Miyazaki reacts to a demonstration of AI-generated animation. The animation in question depicted a bizarre zombie-like figure, with unnatural movements, including head-based dance motions that the presenters claimed AI could create beyond human imagination.
Miyazaki, who was visibly unimpressed, expressed his thoughts on the animation’s lack of human emotion and connection. He recalled a friend of his with a disability who struggles with simple movements like giving a high five due to muscle stiffness. He shared that the bizarre movements in the animation reminded him of his friend’s struggles. Miyazaki criticized the AI-generated content for failing to understand the pain and effort involved in real-life movements, stating, “Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever.”
Miyazaki further explained that he found the animation “creepy” and expressed his disgust, saying, “I am utterly disgusted. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.”
He then went on to call the AI-generated animation an “insult to life itself,” emphasizing his belief that technology should capture and express authentic human emotion, something AI was incapable of achieving.
AI-Generated Art’s Rising Popularity and ChatGPT’s Role
Despite Miyazaki’s criticism, the popularity of AI-generated art continues to rise. OpenAI’s latest update to ChatGPT, integrated with a new image generator, has taken social media by storm. The tool has allowed users to create stunning Ghibli-inspired artwork, leading to a wave of creativity and fascination among social media users. The art generation model, known as GPT-4o, has impressed people with its ability to generate unique art pieces in the distinctive style of Studio Ghibli.
The widespread excitement over AI-generated Ghibli-style artwork has caught the attention of many, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who even changed his profile picture to an AI-generated Ghibli-style image. However, while some celebrate the possibilities of AI art, others, like Miyazaki, question its authenticity and connection to human life.
