What *Is* Real Art? (AI vs. Studio Ghibli)

At this point, there are more instances of AI competing with artists and creatives than stars in the night sky.

In this new digital age, with Artificial Intelligence becoming widespread, the online discussion on the difference between original art and fake creations has been making buzz and headlines.

In the past, on this website and blog, we have discussed AI being implemented in products and services, from the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, which are now selling at a starting price of $300, to the ethics of ChatGPT with essay writing.

The involvement of AI in everyday life will be a consistent topic of conversation, as even with the new Apple and Microsoft devices (laptops, iPhones, iWatches), Copilot is already added before you buy the product.

AI has become a new topic of discussion this week, with users on X (formerly Twitter, bought by Elon Musk), changing their profiles to Studio Ghibli versions of themselves, utilizing that generative technology.

All types of creatives in the artistry space were, understandably, enraged by this.

For the AI Studio Ghibli, the art trend is much more disturbing than one might think.

What is the AI Studio Ghibli Art Trend?

The studio's brand, most known for films like Spirited Away, Ponyo, and The Boy and The Heron, viewers are captivated by the stunning scenery and cozy atmosphere each separate film gives the viewers.

So, imagine how startled fans of the studio were to see that folks who weren't fans started using OpenAI to mimic the style and change their profile. This normally wouldn't be an issue, but that wasn't all -- from dark scenes and imagery, to unrelated memes, and originally edgy scenes from other movies into the Ghibli style.

To the artists and fans, it was a jarring and uncomfortable experience.

AI should be used as a tool implemented to assist humanity to succeeding to greater heights. Though unfortunately, in this modern era of students using it to copy homework, tech bros to create NFTs, or lazy influencers hoping on a trend that will last five seconds, that hardly seems to be the case.

In this blog section at Savvy Socials, we discuss AI being used in multiple ways. However, this,  particular instance, is far from creative or trend-worthy.

As a self-taught digital artist, it would be hypocritical of me if I didn't condemn this growing trend, because it takes away the hard work and talent that actual artists have that work on their projects. Art is a learned skill, and it takes time and patience. One can't put a prompt in a computer, get the image, and call it a day. How can anyone sleep at night after doing such a thing? What happened to the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a long work in progress? Not only that, but also knowing that said work from that image generator was stolen?

With AI being implemented in not only text but also videos, even if the imagery is wonky, the uncomfortable sentiment amongst creators is that this will be the worst it will ever get. Big Tech will keep improving the software, and soon, even AI art will be featured in museums or art exhibits.

Until then, the best course of action is to utilize the skills we learned from the era when we were all stuck at home and socially distance ourselves from any trend glorifying AI not protecting artists or stealing their work.

In your opinion, what do you think art is? How familiar are you with the Studio Ghibli Films? What film is your favorite and why? Are you an artist? What medium of art do you prefer to use? How long have you been drawing for?