“I am utterly disgusted. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself”, said Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli. Creating any work of art is no small feat, let alone one that requires months and months to arrive at its full form. But AI has reduced this work of months into a two-second mass-produced process. The nostalgic art of Studio Ghibli is being turned into commonality and memes. Is this really the way forward?
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio based in Tokyo that has given birth to masterpieces such as My Neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle. All these productions are meticulously hand-painted without any digital assistance. Behind each frame is the labor of a human illustrator, often Miyazaki himself. He beautifully captures every detail in his engagement with art. He recognizes art’s authenticity and the extreme toil that needs to be done to bring any art to life. But in the past few days, there has suddenly been an upshot of the “Studio Ghibli trend”.
To be a part of this trend, people send their photos to ChatGPT, asking it to convert them to “Studio Ghibli” style as if the magnificence and extraordinary beauty and detailing of the art form can be reduced to a mere “style”; as if excruciatingly long hours of practice and work is not put into the perfect execution of each frame. AI pixels whip up a painting that would have otherwise taken Studio Ghibli’s brushstrokes days, weeks, and even months to complete.
But not everything in this world needs to be easy. There exists real passion in the hearts of humankind, which is being replaced with the robotic simplicity of AI technology. “What is the point?” asked an eight-year-old artist to his mother after seeing the uproar of this trend.
What is the point of these young budding artists whose hands seem to create magic, who find art as a medium to express their true selves? What is the point if there is no audience to appreciate art in its true authenticity? What is the point if the mother of that young artist herself is indulging in technological “art” while her son is striving to capture the world and its beauty through his own hands?
Our engagement with art is slowly but surely disintegrating. Not only Studio Ghibli, ChatGPT and other forms of AI technology are capable of emulating different forms of art styles such as comic, sketch, oil painting, etc. There is no end to what it can do. Where does this place real art, then? What of the artists who spend years perfecting their art, only for the spotlight to be stolen by some software devoid of anything human in it? If the founder himself is strongly vocal against this technology, calling it an insult to life, maybe we really need to respect that and not turn to AI for our “fake” paintings.
Instead, we can get our portraits done by legitimate artists, also helping them in the process of earning a living. This is what being human is all about. Growing and connecting. AI is on its way to completely erase everything that makes us human, and we are letting it. Yes, technology is progressive, but it is crucial to realize its risks before it gets too out of control. Respect art, its artists, and what they stand for instead of getting swayed by its pixelated knock-off.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below on whether you support the rapid technological advancements or are a stickler for the traditions and their authenticity. If you have any burning opinions or ideas to share, feel free to contact us at larra@globalindiannetwork.com.
