Use of AI in Ghibli art angers One Piece director

Rafael Shinzo
I'm Rafael Alves, known as Shinzo, founder of AnimeNew. I created the site in 2009 with the mission of sharing news and updates about anime, manga, and...

The director of the anime One Piece, Megumi Ishitani, expressed her indignation on social media against the growing trend of generating Studio Ghibli using artificial intelligence (AI). In her opinion, the unauthorized use of Hayao Miyazaki is a disrespect that threatens the artistic value of the Ghibli brand.

Therefore, on April 2, 2025, Ishitani posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Are Japanese people using Ghibli AI? I’m in despair. This damages the value of the Ghibli brand.” She then reinforced her criticism, demanding legal action: “I want legal action taken… I can’t stand seeing Ghibli treated with such disregard.” She further questioned: “There’s no chance the studio authorized this. Why is this being allowed?”

Spirited Away Studio-Ghibli
Spirited Away / Studio Ghibli

The trend of creating Ghibli -style images via ChatGPT or other AI tools has gone viral on social media, even attracting celebrities and politicians. However, for artists like Megumi, who understand the effort involved in producing animations, this type of practice trivializes manual and artistic work.

It's worth remembering that Miyazaki himself has spoken out against AI, calling this technology an "insult to life"during a broadcast in 2016. However, the controversy raises important questions about authorship and ethics in the use of artificial intelligence in art.

Finally, stay tuned to AnimeNews for more news and insights into the world of anime, manga, and otaku culture!

Source: X (twitter)

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I’m Rafael Alves, better known as Shinzo, founder of AnimeNew. I launched the website in 2009 with the mission of bringing anime, manga, and gaming news and updates straight from Japan to fans around the world.