To watch a Hayao Miyazaki animated film, or any feature from Studio Ghibli, is to appreciate the painstaking process that goes into drawing each frame completely by hand. Animated classics like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away hold a special, childhood-shaped space in our hearts because every shot — from the oil crackling on top of a sizzling egg to the rain falling against a giant rabbit’s umbrella — is incredibly detailed, capturing a warmth that has made every film from the animation studio unforgettable.
But now, with the recent release of GPT-40, the latest iteration of artificial intellegence research organization OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT, Miyazaki’s painstakingly crafted art style has easily been replicated. During the March 25 release of the update, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman demonstrated how he’d used GPT-40 to turn a group selfie into a Ghibli-esque “anime frame.” This sparked a wave of excitement, with users rapidly uploading their selfies, profile pics, and family photos into the tool to be “Ghiblified.”
— Sam Altman (@sama) April 2, 2025
The trend has now gone global, and users in the Philippines have quickly jumped on the hype. Beyond using the tool to create animated profile pics and profile photos, some Filipino netizens have even generated Ghiblified versions of major public figures, such as former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. Even local businesses, like the restaurant chain Lola Nena’s, have dabbled with turning photos of their cheese donuts and employees into Ghibli-inspired art (Note: Lola Nena’s has since deleted their post for undisclosed reasons).
Ghibli AI: Just A Phase, Hopefully
While the rest of the world delights in playing with the latest AI text-to-image trends, artists hold on to the belief that fads like Ghiblifying photos are just a passing phase. “AI is a hot buzzword right now,” visual artist Rob Cham told Rolling Stone Philippines. “It feels like everything needs to have AI these days. Your phone needs to have AI, your refrigerator needs AI. AI is being pushed as this big new thing.”
“People want a perfect output without putting in the effort to actually do it,” multimedia artist Into the Garden Studio (a.k.a. Karlos) tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “Some artists will choose AI for the sake of gaining unfair advantages even though it’s against their own morals, but I believe the majority will choose to fight against it.”
However, some artists understand the sway AI currently has over audiences who love how text-to-image tools can create something akin to art on the spot. “Honestly, I’m scared of how fast AI is growing and spreading in the art and design world,” graphic designer and illustrator Pattpiha said. “I get the instant gratification it gives, but it is supposed to be a tool to support us, not to completely take over.”
Even Miyazaki predicted AI’s impact on art-making as early as 2016. In a clip from the documentary Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, the director grew visibly frustrated as animators presented a demo of a grotesque, animated zombie crawling across the screen. Miyazaki can be seen frowning at the squirming zombie, whose movements were completely generated by AI.
Once the demo was complete, Miyazaki immediately voiced his disdain. “I am utterly disgusted,” he said. “I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
The animators are left in quiet shock. “Well, we would like to build a machine that can draw pictures like humans do,” they replied, eerily mirroring how AI tools today replicate art.
Miyazaki’s response is nothing short of bleak. “I feel like we are nearing the end of times,” said the director.
