Openai CEO Sam Altman defended the art generated by AI as a “big pure victory in society” following criticism from Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, who described AI art as “an insult to life itself.”
In a recent interview with YouTuber Varun Mayya, Altman acknowledged the shortcomings of AI Art, but claimed its overall effect was positive. “It wasn’t a complete victory. There was certainly something negative about it, and certainly something about art form,” Altman said.
Miyazaki’s comments have been revealed after internet users around the world launched a viral trend in posting images generated to AI, which mimic Studio Ghibli’s unique animation style. This trend began with the ChatGPT release of Openai’s image generation capabilities with GPT-4o upgrades, and users quickly filled out social media with the “Gibliride” version of the photo, ranging from family portraits to historical events.
Altman responds to critics of AI-generated art
“Everyone can provide more tools, make things easier, enter barriers… it can greatly increase the number of people who can contribute to society,” explained Altman. “And we all benefited from it overall.”
Critics argue that the generated images of AI models are likely to be trained in the artist’s original work without consent, and could compete with the very creators whose work is being built.
Altman admitted the concern, “It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cause a job loss, it means that some people have the ability to do something.”
This controversy highlights the issue of copyright in AI art generation. Legal experts point out that art styles are not copyrighted, but certain works and characters are protected. Openai has since started restricting Ghibli-style prompts and restricting free layer access.
Despite the backlash, Altman is optimistic about the creative possibilities of AI. “Taste is still really important,” he says, suggesting that while some design tasks may be absorbed by AI, there is a possibility that the demand for designs could actually increase.
According to Openai’s Chief Operating Officer, discussions become more and more mainstream as AI-generated content becomes more and more mainstream, with over 700 million images being created through ChatGPT since its features were launched.
