ChatGPT’s New AI Image Tool Sparks An Online Trend Of Studio Ghibli-Style Art

Highlights

• ChatGPT’s new image-generation tool has sparked an online trend of recreating images in Studio Ghibli’s whimsical art style.
• Some artists criticise the tool for imitating Ghibli’s signature style without proper credit and raised concerns about copyright and artistic respect.
• The tool is available only to ChatGPT Plus users due to high demand.

Caption – Popular internet memes reimagined into Studio Ghibli-style art. (Image credit – Studio Ghibli/ OpenAI/ @heyBarsee on X)

ChatGPT has introduced an improved image-generation tool powered by GPT-4o and it’s already a massive hit. Users have been using it to create AI-generated images in various art styles, but one trend stands out, the Studio Ghibli-style AI art.

People are uploading photos, memes, and existing images into ChatGPT and asking it to recreate them in the signature Studio Ghibli look.

It’s been 24 hours since OpenAI unexpectedly shook the AI image world with 4o image generation.

Here are the 14 most mindblowing examples so far (100% AI-generated):

1. Studio ghibli style memespic.twitter.com/E38mBnPnQh

— Barsee 🐶 (@heyBarsee) March 26, 2025

tremendous alpha right now in sending your wife photos of yall converted to studio ghibli anime pic.twitter.com/FROszdFSfN

— Grant Slatton (@GrantSlatton) March 25, 2025

Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has joined in, changing his X profile picture to an AI-generated image in this style.

changed my pfp but maybe someone will make me a better one

— Sam Altman (@sama) March 26, 2025

But there’s a catch! Due to overwhelming demand, Altman later announced that free users will have to wait before they can access the tool.

images in chatgpt are wayyyy more popular than we expected (and we had pretty high expectations).

rollout to our free tier is unfortunately going to be delayed for awhile.

— Sam Altman (@sama) March 26, 2025

What Is Ghibli-Style AI Art?

Caption – Hayao Miyazaki. (Image credit – Studio Ghibli)

The “Ghibli style” comes from Studio Ghibli, the legendary Japanese animation studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki. Known for its hand-drawn, whimsical, and dreamy aesthetic, Studio Ghibli has created some of the world’s most beloved anime films over the past 40 years.

Ghibli-style images have a distinctive mix of soft colours, natural elements, and detailed backgrounds, making them both artistic and nostalgic.

Now, with ChatGPT, users can recreate their own images in this iconic anime style with just a few clicks.

Controversy Around AI-Generated Ghibli Art

While many users are loving the Ghibli-style AI edits, some artists and fans aren’t happy. Critics argue that ChatGPT is copying a style that took decades to develop without giving credit to the artists behind it.

There’s also a potential copyright issue. ChatGPT refuses to generate Disney or Marvel characters due to copyright restrictions, but it still allows users to mimic Ghibli’s style. This raises concerns about whether AI-generated images should be allowed to imitate well-known artistic styles.

Since this utter garbage is trending, we should take a look at what Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Studio Ghibli, said about machine created art. pic.twitter.com/IvaM9WZL3T

— Nuberodesign (@nuberodesign) March 26, 2025

Imagine being Miyazaki, pouring decades of heart and soul into making this transcendent beautiful tender style of anime, and then seeing it get sloppified by linear algebra

— Nabeel S. Qureshi (@nabeelqu) March 26, 2025

Some artists see this as a disrespect to Miyazaki’s legacy, while others believe it’s just a fun tool for users to experiment with different art styles. The debate is ongoing.

How to Create Ghibli-Style Anime Images in ChatGPT?

If you want to try this feature, you’ll need a ChatGPT Plus subscription ($20/month or approx. ₹1,715). OpenAI had planned to release this for free users, but due to high server load, it’s currently available only to paid users.

Here’s how you can generate Ghibli-style AI images in ChatGPT –

• Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus
• Upload an image to ChatGPT
• Use the prompt: “Convert this image into Ghibli-style anime”
• Wait a few seconds or a minute, depending on server load

ChatGPT will analyse your image and edit it to match the classic Japanese animation style seen in Ghibli films. That’s why many of these AI-generated images look like they belong in an animated movie.

FAQS

Q1. What is the Studio Ghibli-style AI art trend with ChatGPT?

Answer. ChatGPT’s improved image-generation tool allows users to recreate photos and images in Studio Ghibli’s whimsical, dreamy art style, sparking an online trend.

Q2. Is the Ghibli-style AI tool available for free users?

Answer. No, the tool is currently accessible only to ChatGPT Plus users due to high demand. Free users will need to wait for future access.

Q3. How can users create Ghibli-style anime images with ChatGPT?

Answer. Users need ChatGPT Plus. Upload an image to ChatGPT and use the prompt: “Convert this image into Ghibli-style anime” to generate the art.

Also Read: ChatGPT Can Now Replace Gemini As Your Default AI Assistant on Android

Also Read: OpenAI Introduces GPT-4o Mini for Faster and More Accessible AI – What You Need to Know