OpenAI’s newest AI image feature transforms photos into Ghibli-style artwork—fueling viral trends, memes, and criticism from the animation community.
March 28, 2025: The internet can’t get enough of ChatGPT’s latest creative tool—an AI image generator that turns ordinary photos into dreamy, whimsical portraits inspired by Studio Ghibli’s iconic animation style.
Released earlier this week, the feature—available to ChatGPT Plus users powered by GPT-4o—has led to a flood of Ghibli-style creations on social media. From anime-style family portraits to surreal recreations of pop culture moments, users have turned the internet into a tribute to Hayao Miyazaki’s timeless aesthetic.
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Nobody asked for Bollywood movie scenes in Ghibli style — but here they are. pic.twitter.com/umiDAA7LNu
— Vivek Choudhary (@ivivekch) March 26, 2025
Images of movie characters, beloved pets, and public figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump have all been reimagined in the Ghibli universe. Even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, joined the trend by changing his profile picture to a Ghibli-style avatar and jokingly posted:
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“>be me
grind for a decade to build superintelligence
no one cares for 7.5 years, then they all hate you
wake up one day to 100s of messages: ‘look, you’re a twink in Ghibli style haha.’”
>be me
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 26, 2025
>grind for a decade trying to help make superintelligence to cure cancer or whatever
>mostly no one cares for first 7.5 years, then for 2.5 years everyone hates you for everything
>wake up one day to hundreds of messages: "look i made you into a twink ghibli style haha"
🎨 What Is Ghibli Art and Why Is It So Popular?
Studio Ghibli is revered for its enchanting hand-drawn animation, soft pastel color palettes, and deep emotional storytelling. Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, the studio has created timeless classics like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro.
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Ghibli’s style evokes nostalgia and magic, making it a natural fit for AI reinterpretation—and a hit with the anime-loving global audience. According to CNBC TV18, nearly 72% of anime viewers in the US consume anime content daily.
📱 Social Media’s Ghibli Glow-Up
From brands using the filter for marketing, to memes turning Bollywood’s Hera Pheri trio into Ghibli characters, the trend has captivated millions.
Prompts like “turn me into a Ghibli character” or “make this image look like a Ghibli movie still” have gone viral across platforms like X (Twitter), Instagram, and Reddit.
💸 Feature Locked Behind Paywall
While initially free, the image tool’s rapid popularity prompted OpenAI to restrict it to paid subscribers. The tool, powered by GPT-4o, allows users to create richly detailed images with minimal effort—marking a leap beyond ChatGPT’s earlier image-generation features.
😡 Controversy and Creative Backlash
Not everyone is thrilled. An old 2016 video of Hayao Miyazaki rejecting AI-generated art resurfaced amid the trend. In it, he stated:
“I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work. It’s an insult to life itself.”
Artist Jayd “Chira” Ait-Kaci echoed that sentiment, calling the Ghibli AI trend “malicious” and accusing it of disrespecting original artists:
“It’s always about contempt for artists, every time.”
✨ Popular AI Prompts: Ghibli Edition
- “Create a Ghibli-style character based on my photo”
- “Transform this image into a hand-drawn Studio Ghibli scene”
- “Draw me like a Ghibli protagonist—magical and whimsical”
- “Use Ghibli’s watercolor palette and soft animation lines on this photo”
- “Turn my pet into a Ghibli creature”
🏷️ Tags:
ChatGPT Studio Ghibli, Ghibli AI art, OpenAI GPT-4o, AI image trend, Hayao Miyazaki AI, anime art generator, Studio Ghibli style, viral AI trend, AI vs artists, Ghibli filter, ChatGPT image tools, OpenAI controversy