'Insult to life': Studio Ghibli founder's old video on AI art resurfaces

Hayao Miyazaki slams AI-generated animation as an 'insult to life itself' in an old video, saying machines cannot grasp human emotions as social media buzzes with Ghibli-style art

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If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you might feel like you’ve stepped into a Studio Ghibli movie. Thanks to OpenAI’s latest image-generation update on ChatGPT, the internet is now flooded with stunning AI-generated visuals inspired by the beloved animation studio.

 

As users excitedly reimagine themselves in a Ghibli-style world, an old video of legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki blasting AI-generated animation has resurfaced and gone viral.

 

The renowned co-founder of Studio Ghibli, known for masterpieces such as 'Spirited Away' and 'My Neighbor Totoro', had made his stance on artificial intelligence crystal clear years ago. In the resurfaced clip, Miyazaki calls AI-generated animation an “insult to life itself,” emphasising that artificial intelligence cannot comprehend genuine human emotions. 

 

 

The video captures a moment where a group of animators and designers showcase their AI-powered animation to Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki. The AI-generated creation was a grotesque zombie-like figure that moved in an unnatural, eerie manner. The presenters explained that AI could produce movements beyond human imagination, potentially useful for horror or video games.

 

One of them described the animation, saying, "It looks like it’s dancing. It’s moving by using its head. It doesn’t feel any pain and has no concept of protecting its head. This movement is so creepy and could be applied to a zombie video game. Artificial intelligence could present us with grotesque movements that we humans can’t imagine.”

 

Miyazaki was visibly unimpressed. Drawing from personal experience, he spoke about a friend with a disability who struggles with simple movements like giving a high five due to stiff muscles. The unnatural animation, he said, reminded him of his friend’s struggle—something he did not find entertaining in the least.

 

"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. 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 said.

 

He went further, stating, "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself."

 

When questioned about the purpose of their AI experiment, one of the designers explained that it was purely an experiment and not intended for public use. When Suzuki asked about their end goal, the team replied that they aimed to create a machine that could draw like humans.

 

Meanwhile, OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-4o, featuring an integrated image generator, has taken the internet by storm. Users are mesmerised by the lifelike Ghibli-inspired AI creations, fuelling discussions on the intersection of AI and art. The trend has gained such momentum that even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has changed his profile picture to an AI-generated Ghibli-style portrait.