 "Within hours of the launch, users began experimenting with prompts to test the AI’s capabilities. X/@heyBarsee")
If you have scrolled through Instagram or X lately, you may have noticed an influx of AI-generated images in the Ghibli art style.
These visuals, created using OpenAI’s latest image-generation tool, have taken social media by storm.
From dreamy, watercolour-style landscapes to hand-drawn character portraits with expressive eyes, the internet is now filled with artwork mimicking the beloved Ghibli aesthetic.
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But what exactly is the Ghibli art style, and how are people recreating it using AI? Who can access this feature, and how have people embraced it?
Let’s take a look:
What is Ghibli?
Founded in 1985 by noted directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli is an animation studio known for its stunning visuals and compelling storytelling.
The studio has gained a worldwide following for its hand-drawn animation, meticulous attention to detail, and emotionally rich narratives.
Some of its most iconic films include My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke.
The name “Ghibli” comes from a Libyan Arabic word meaning a hot desert wind. It was also the name of the Italian aircraft Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli, which was used in World War II.
A fan of aviation, Miyazaki named the studio to signify “blowing a new wind through the anime industry,” The Times of India reported.
A Ghibli-style portrait captures the essence of Studio Ghibli’s distinctive aesthetic. It features hand-drawn characters, soft pastel or muted colour tones, intricate details in both foreground and background and an overarching sense of magic or wonder.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe appeal of the Ghibli animation lies in its ability to blend calmness with engaging storytelling. The signature style draws audiences into immersive worlds, earning the studio a devoted fanbase spanning millions.
How ChatGPT and AI made Ghibli Art a trend
OpenAI made waves on Wednesday with the launch of its built-in image-generation feature. Introduced on Tuesday as part of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest tool has amazed users with its ability to recreate the signature Ghibli aesthetic.
While designed to produce high-quality stylised visuals, its unexpected proficiency in replicating the art style of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki has led to a viral trend.
Within hours of the update going live, users began experimenting with prompts to test the AI’s capabilities. It soon became evident that the model excelled at generating Studio Ghibli-inspired images.
Social media was then flooded with Ghibli-style versions of people, pets, fictional characters, and even everyday objects like coffee cups.
From famous movie scenes to personal memories, proposals, and even moments of tragedy - everything is being transformed into Ghibli-style art, and users are embracing the trend.
“At OpenAI, we have long believed image generation should be a primary capability of our language models. That’s why we’ve built our most advanced image generator yet into GPT‑4o. The result - image generation that is not only beautiful, but useful,” the company wrote.
OpenAI chief Sam Altman also commented on the new development, opting for a witty remark about himself rather than sharing an image.
He wrote, “Be me. Grind for a decade trying to help make superintelligence to cure cancer or whatever. Mostly no one cares for first 7.5 years, then for 2.5 years everyone hates you for everything. Wake up one day to hundreds of messages: ‘look i made you into a twink ghibli style haha.”
Who can use this feature?
OpenAI has launched a new image-generation feature in ChatGPT, powered by GPT-4o, allowing users to create visuals directly within the chatbot.
Named “Images in ChatGPT,” the feature is accessible to all users, though free-tier users face restrictions due to high demand.
Initially, OpenAI planned to roll out the feature for Plus, Pro, Team, and Free users. However, in a later post on X, Sam Altman announced that access for free users had been “delayed for a while.”
By simply entering text prompts, users can generate images within the chatbot, customising aspects such as aspect ratio, colour schemes using hex codes, or even opting for transparent backgrounds.
OpenAI also stated that ChatGPT‑4o can analyse and incorporate details from user-uploaded images, improving its ability to generate contextually relevant visuals.
“We trained our models on the joint distribution of online images and text, learning not just how images relate to language, but how they relate to each other,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post.
How to generate a Ghibli-styled image?
ChatGPT-4o is accessible even with a free account, requiring only a Google ID login or a newly created OpenAI account.
The AI chatbot operates quickly and reliably, though the free version comes with certain limitations that users should be aware of.
To generate a Studio Ghibli-style AI image, follow these steps:
Visit the ChatGPT website.
Log in using your Google ID or create a new account.
Once the ChatGPT interface appears, enter basic text prompts, including the phrase “Studio Ghibli,” to generate AI-stylised images.
OpenAI’s DALL-E image generation tool powers the creation of these Ghibli-style illustrations.
The chatbot provides options to save the generated image or review the detailed prompt that helped create it.
Internet’s reaction to Ghibli-style AI art
The feature has amused the internet, with users generating dozens of Ghibli-style artworks on ChatGPT and sharing them across social media platforms.
One user posted on X, “So you’re telling me I can take a popular meme, transform it into Studio Ghibli style anime, and people will just like it?”
Another user reacted to the update, writing, “Is crazy!!!! Chatgpt has level up with this update.”
Offering a different view, one user criticised the trend, stating, “You will never be able to replicate Ghibli, no matter how ‘good’ you think your AI generated trash looks, for it fundamentally lacks all that makes a shot great; emotion, depth, the heart and soul only visible in the labour of an artist who wanted to create this specific frame.”
Does the Ghibli founder approve of it?
As people continue to reimagine themselves in the Studio Ghibli universe, an old video of its co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki, has resurfaced.
The 84-year-old legendary animator has never been a supporter of AI-generated imagery.
A clip from the NHK documentary series “NHK Special: Hayao Miyazaki - The One Who Never Ends” shows Miyazaki addressing a group of students who proposed a machine to create animation.
“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. I strongly feel this is an insult to life itself,” he said.