Japanese lawmakers are questioning if they can take legal action against AI art models offering art styles based on ChatGPT offered a tool to generate images emulating Ghibli's signature style. While individual animators und with Ghibli have spoken out, now it seems the question of AI art's legality is being raised by actual Japanese politicians.
According to a report by Sora News, during a cabinet meeting for the Japanese House of Representatives, Representative Masato Imai spoke with Hirohiko Nakahara, Japan's Director for Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. After a brief back-and-forth where Imai asked Nakahara about the legality of Ghibli-inspired AI images, Imai concluded, “The use of styles and ideas is legal, but if [an AI-generated image] were recognized as being ‘Ghibli itself,’ then that would be a violation of law."
What Japanese Lawmaker's Comments On Ghibli-Inspired AI Mean
Questioning AI's Legality Could Have Big Implications
While Imai's questions and Nakahara's answers are far from the full-fledged legal rebuke of the latest trend of Ghibli-like AI images that many opponents of the movement had hoped for, they do represent an important first step. Imai shows that of the Japanese government are keenly aware of the trend and are, at the very least, weighing the situation's murky legality. Unfortunately, Nakhara concludes that AI Art's legality is ultimately up to courts.
Studio Ghibli Fans Still Misunderstand One Detail About Hayao Miyazaki That Makes Him Such a Gifted Director
Studio Ghibli fans believe that Hayao Miyazaki's films are optimistic in spite of their creator, but the visionary director is sorely misunderstood.
Though Nakahara initially casts doubts on whether Ghibli would have a case, he does state that, if the AI art is similar enough to an existing piece of copyrighted work, then a case could be made that AI is violating copyright laws, stating "If AI-generated content is determined to be similar to or reliant on preexisting copyrighted works, then there is a possibility that it could constitute copyright infringement."
The Fate Of Ghibli-Like AI Art Could Rest In The Studio's Hands
If Nakahara's Comments Are Correct, Then It's On Studio Ghibli To Act
Assuming Nakahara's assessment of the situation is correct, then the onus for challenging Ghibli-Like AI art would ultimately fall on the studio itself. The latest explosion of artificially-generated Ghibli images is relatively recent, so it's unclear at this time what actions they'll take. Beyond Ghibli denying a fake legal warning, the beloved studio itself hasn't actually commented on the new trend.
Many of Ghibli's films are pointedly about developing a deep respect for nature and hard work, two values that are difficult to square away with the energy-hungry nature of services like ChatGPT
Despite Ghibli's relative silence on the subject, though, it seems likely that the company's top brass aren't fans. Hayao Miyazaki himself has spoken out against AI previously, wondering if it meant that humanity had finally given up on itself. Additionally, many of Ghibli's films are pointedly about developing a deep respect for nature and hard work, two values that are difficult to square away with the energy-hungry nature of services like ChatGPT.
If You Love Studio Ghibli, You Better Know Its 7 Most Underrated Anime
Studio Ghibli has many amazing titles in its catalog, but there are 7 anime, from music animations to television series, that most fans will not know.
Even if Ghibli did take action, Nakahara makes it clear that he's not sure if they'd win. Even if Ghibli did succeed in court, that would ultimately only be a win for them. Anime directors are speaking out against AI art, and if the trend continues, it will be a lot more than Ghibli who is affected.
