Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has become a hot topic these days. The usage of it in Grammy-nominated movies like Brutalist and Emilia Perez, and the recent trend of Studio Ghibli-styled images, and whether that’s a copyright violation or not, had me thinking if, with the new rise of AI, artists’ jobs are at stake.
The recent trend of posting AI-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli has become quite popular. Cute pets, memes, and memorable family moments are now depicted in the legendary hand-drawn style of Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli’s founder. However, these same trends have raised the concern that ChatGPT tools are being trained to copy certain art styles. According to an AP article, OpenAI, ChatGPT’s maker, is “fighting copyright lawsuits” thanks to its questionable chatbot.
The problem with this trend is an inquiry into whether the AI model was trained on Studio Ghibli’s work. In an AP article, Josh Weigensberg, who is a lawyer who works on legal issues surrounding the use of AI tech in media, told a reporter from the AP that this case raises a lot of questions.
“‘Well, do they have a license or permission to do that training or not?” Weigensberg said if they are using the art style without consent or compensation, that could be “problematic.”
Furthermore, Miyazaki himself has had strong opinions on AI since its beginning. In 2016, an AI demo was shown to Miyazaki, who later said he was “utterly disgusted” by the display. According to the AP article, the person displaying the demo said that AI could create movements that humans could not imitate or imagine. They also said that AI could be used for “zombie movements.”
After the display, Miyazaki told the story of a friend with a disability. Miyazaki said that for his friend, it was hard to even do a high five because the muscles in their arm were stiff. He said, “Now thinking of him [his friend], I can’t watch this stuff and find it interesting. Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what real pain is.” He also mentioned that “I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all,” and that it was an “Insult to life itself.”
Miyazaki is not the only one who sees AI as a tool “insulting” to art. Pinocchio movie director Guillermo del Toro said that AI can merely be used to create semi-compelling screensavers and has echoed Miyazaki’s words. He has also joined the chorus of artists who argue that generative AI was “trained” on artists’ works without consent.
In 2023, Hollywood’s actors, writers, and screenwriters shut down Hollywood with strikes demanding protections from AI. The strike lasted about 5 months, and for some people, the results gave a little advantage to humans. However, AI has been creeping back to Hollywood, the Oscar-nominated film Emilia Perez and the Brutalist used AI to alter voices. According to the BBC, AI was used to fine-tune the Hungarian accent of Adrien Brody in his role in the film, he also won the Academy Award for best actor thanks to his role.
Tech companies have stated that they are unable to compete with China because of the existing US copyright laws. Because of that, big tech companies want the U.S. government to change copyrighted art, movies, and TV shows to “fair use” so they can train AI.
As an artist, it’s quite upsetting to see how an image that would take at least three days can be done in three seconds with the press of a button or a prompt submission. AI could be taking jobs away from graphic designers, illustrators, and many more. However, there’s still some hope for artists, Canadian illustrator Anoosha Syed said to The Guardian.
“As time goes on, users will become more attuned to it and start to turn away from it because of its inauthenticity and ‘cheapness’… we might even see a reemergence and appreciation of traditional media,” she said.
