The increasingly prevalent use of AI-created images, particularly those that replicate the unique style of Studio Ghibli, has ignited a heated debate on the future of creativity and art. This debate has revitalized classic remarks made by legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, who stated his fears regarding the effects of artificial intelligence on the creative world—a world once fueled by human creativity and emotion.

The furor erupted after Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, shared a ‘Ghibli-fied’ version of himself as his profile picture on X (formerly Twitter), showcasing ChatGPT’s new image-creation feature.

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His lighthearted adoption of the AI’s power to turn portraits into the stylized, hand-drawn look of Studio Ghibli films soon went viral. Others soon followed suit, wanting to be reimagined in the endearing, labor-of-love world of anime.

But amidst the rising hype over AI’s ability to replicate Studio Ghibli’s signature look, Miyazaki’s voice is a strong counterpoint. A veteran of creating classics such as ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, the renowned director has always been critical of AI’s place in art.

Watch Hayao Miyazaki condemning the use of AI:

Since this utter garbage is trending, we should take a look at what Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Studio Ghibli, said about machine created art. https://t.co/1TMPcFGIJE pic.twitter.com/IvaM9WZL3T

— Nuberodesign (@nuberodesign) March 26, 2025

In a vintage interview unearthed by critics and enthusiasts, Miyazaki freely excoriated the idea of relying on AI for animation or generating art, denouncing it as an affront to the essence of what defines art as being human.

In the interaction, Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki were shown an AI machine that could generate animated images. The group responsible for the AI system showcased their work proudly, illustrating how it could generate strange, near-grotesque movements in cartoon characters—movements far more extreme than those human animators could think up.

One such demonstration involved a creepy character that appeared to “dance” in a disjointed and unnatural way, utilizing its head in an unnatural, near-zombie fashion. Miyazaki’s reaction was both emotional and poignant.

He spoke of how seeing this animation created by AI made him remember a disabled friend, someone for whom even the most basic thing to do, like a high-five, is a faraway dream because of the rigidity in his muscles. “Now, remembering him, I can’t watch this sort of thing and be interested,” Miyazaki said, his voice thick with emotion. “Whoever does this stuff doesn’t have a concept of what pain is.”

Also Read: Who is Hayao Miyazaki? All you need to know about the genius behind Studio Ghibli

The audience went quiet when Miyazaki’s words took hold, and he didn’t mince any words. “I am appalled,” he declared, forcefully dismissing the suggestion of using AI to make art. “If you actually want to create the creepy stuff, you can certainly do that, but I would never want to integrate this technology into my works at all. I very strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”

The tension was palpable, with the creators of AI frantically attempting to clarify that their product was simply an experiment, not one meant for release to the public. One member of the group even stated what they hoped to achieve: “We want to create a machine that can create pictures like we do.”

But Miyazaki, not impressed with their advancement, firmly rebuffed the idea, stating, “I think we are getting close to the end of times. We human beings are losing confidence in ourselves.”