It\u2019s only been a day since ChatGPT\u2019s new AI image generator went live<\/a>, and social media feeds are already flooded with AI-generated memes in the style of Studio Ghibli, the cult-favorite Japanese animation studio behind blockbuster films such as \u201cMy Neighbor Totoro\u201d and \u201cSpirited Away.\u201d<\/p>\n In the last 24 hours, we\u2019ve seen AI-generated images representing Studio Ghibli versions of Elon Musk<\/a>, \u201cThe Lord of the Rings<\/a>\u201c, and President Donald Trump<\/a>. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman even seems to have made his new profile picture a Studio Ghibli-style image<\/a>, presumably made with GPT-4o\u2019s native image generator. Users seem to be uploading existing images and pictures into ChatGPT and asking the chatbot to re-create it in new styles.<\/p>\n OpenAI\u2019s latest update comes on the heels of Google\u2019s release of a similar AI image feature in its Gemini Flash model, which also sparked a viral moment earlier in March when people used it to remove watermarks from images<\/a>. <\/p>\n OpenAI\u2019s and Google\u2019s latest tools make it easier than ever to re-create the styles of copyrighted works \u2014 simply by typing a text prompt. Together, these new AI image features seem to reignite concerns at the core of several lawsuits against generative AI model developers. If these companies are training on copyrighted works, are they violating copyright law?<\/p>\n According to Evan Brown, an intellectual property lawyer at the law firm Neal & McDevitt, products like GPT-4o\u2019s native image generator operate in a legal gray area today. Style is not explicitly protected by copyright, according to Brown, meaning OpenAI does not appear to be breaking the law simply by generating images that look like Studio Ghibli movies.<\/p>\n However, Brown says it\u2019s plausible that OpenAI achieved this likeness by training its model on millions of frames from Ghibli\u2019s films. Even if that was the case, several courts are still deciding whether training AI models on copyrighted works falls under fair use protections.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this raises the same question that we\u2019ve been asking ourselves for a couple years now,\u201d said Brown in an interview. \u201cWhat are the copyright infringement implications of going out, crawling the web, and copying into these databases?\u201d<\/p>\n The New York Times and several publishers are in active lawsuits against OpenAI<\/a>, claiming the company trained its AI models on copyrighted works without proper attribution or payment. There have been similar claims brought in lawsuits against other leading AI companies, including Meta and AI image-generation startup Midjourney.<\/p>\n In a statement to TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson says that while ChatGPT refuses to replicate \u201cthe style of individual living artists,\u201d OpenAI does permit it to replicate \u201cbroader studio styles.\u201d Of course, it\u2019s worth noting there are living artists who are credited with pioneering their studio\u2019s unique styles, such as Studio Ghibli\u2019s co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki.<\/p>\n Evidently, users have also been able to use GPT-4o\u2019s native image-generation feature to re-create styles from other studios and artists. Someone else made a Marc Andreessen portrait in the style of Dr. Seuss<\/a>, and a married couple re-created their wedding photos in the style of Pixar.<\/a><\/p>\n We tested several popular AI image generators \u2014 including ones available in Google\u2019s Gemini, xAI\u2019s Grok, and Playground.ai \u2014 to see their ability to match Studio Ghibli\u2019s style. We found OpenAI\u2019s new image generator created the most accurate replica of the animation studio\u2019s style.<\/p>\n For now, OpenAI\u2019s and Google\u2019s new image features present a leap forward in what AI models can generate, which seems to be driving a surge in usage. OpenAI delayed the rollout of its new image tool to free-tier users on Wednesday, citing high demand<\/a>. That may be the most important thing for these companies today, but we\u2019ll have to wait for the courts to weigh in on their legality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-26-at-1.19.02PM.png?w=680\")