Why Ghibli trend is risky for you
Since ChatGPT has rolled GPT 4o image generation, internet is going bonkers and there is a sea of Ghibli images all over the place.
Everything is Ghiblified
Famous movie scenes
Selfies with friends
memes
While everyone is in a hurry to Ghiblify themselves, there lies some serious risks that you’re not aware of
Privacy Concerns
Why would you wish to give your personal photos to OpenAI, which is well known for training their LLMs unethically?
- Data Harvesting: AI image generators often rely on vast datasets, which may include personal photos uploaded by users without proper consent. This raises significant privacy issues, as sensitive metadata, location information, and personal details could be exposed
- Children’s Privacy: Experts warn that children are particularly vulnerable, as their data may be unknowingly collected and exploited for AI training purposes.
OpenAI (ChatGPT) now owns everything you upload!!
Copyright Infringement
Digital content, be it images or movies, are automatically copyrighted
- Unauthorized Use of Artworks: AI models often use copyrighted works without consent to train their algorithms, leading to millions of simultaneous copyright violations. Artists argue this practice undermines intellectual property rights.
- Fair Use Debate: While some claim AI-generated art falls under “fair use,” its impact on the market value of original works is big
Devaluation of Art
Art is something a person opts for to express his love/passion for something where he values his love more than money (most of the time). Also, making a living as an artist is very hard! Kindly don’t make it a joke
- Loss of Human Uniqueness: AI-generated art lacks the emotional depth and human touch that define traditional artistic expression. This diminishes the perceived value of art as a medium for unique human creativity
- Mass Production: The ability to produce art rapidly and in large quantities risks reducing it to a commodity, stripping away its cultural significance and rarity
- Impact on Artists’ Livelihoods: As AI replicates artistic styles effortlessly, artists may face reduced demand for their work, leading to financial instability and discouragement within the creative community
Imagine you wrote a book with lots of efforts and now someone is using it to pack cookies. It would be gut wrenching for you to see your hardwork being used in such mundane or dismissive way.
Think about Studio Ghibli artists who took up years to generate the master piece, seeing commoners using it to convert random shit to Ghibli
Creative Stagnation
Why will someone opt for Art now as someone’s years of hardwork is replicable in seconds?
Also, even the Artists themselves will opt for AI tools to generate new art pieces, and we may never see a new art form, or a new programming language or a new technology ever!
You’re affecting the environment, unnecessarily
Every time you “Ghiblify” that sunset selfie, you’re not just risking privacy or supporting questionable AI practices — you’re contributing to a larger environmental toll. Consider this: the GPU-powered filters generating those dreamy Ghibli-inspired visuals rely on energy-intensive data centers, which guzzle electricity and contribute to carbon emissions and e-waste.
While Studio Ghibli’s artists poured heart and soul into their craft, these AI shortcuts prioritize convenience over sustainability.
If this trend were about creating jobs or advancing technology, it might warrant discussion — but burning through resources just to slap a filter on a photo? That’s a shortsighted mistake. Let’s not let our quest for aesthetics deepen the planet’s crisis.
True creativity shouldn’t cost the Earth.
Conclusion,
I hope this post helped you see some obvious pitfalls when you follow a trend like Studio Ghibli, feeding your personal information and photos to AI machines.
So next time you’re tempted to “Ghiblify” your sunset selfie, hit pause. Ask yourself: Is this tribute or exploitation? Let’s choose respect over shortcuts, creativity over copy-paste, and maybe… actually support the artists who make magic without the AI middleman. Because real art? It can’t be algorithm-ed.
Drop the Ghibli filters, folks. The world (and your privacy) will thank you.
Stop ChatGPT Ghibli Trend, ASAP was originally published in Data Science in Your Pocket on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
