Ghibli art trend using AI: Creativity or threat to artists?

The newest social media trend, Ghibli-style portraits, has ignited controversy among art lovers and critics. The trend, which employs AI to convert regular photos into anime-style portraits inspired by Studio Ghibli's classic films, has been viewed both with interest and outrage.

On the other hand, numerous individuals are excited about the artistic potential of this technology. The fact that one can create beautiful, Ghibli-like art with minimal effort has democratized art, allowing it to be more accessible to individuals who might not have had the training or ability to produce such work by hand.

But others have voiced strong criticism of this trend, arguing against artistic labour, consent, and the devaluation of authentic craftsmanship. Some have even called it "disrespectful" to Studio Ghibli's tradition and its co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki.

Miyazaki himself has also spoken out about his distaste for AI-generated animation, terming it "an insult to life itself." His views have been shared by numerous members of the art world, who believe that AI-generated art is not imbued with the heart, emotion, and storytelling that human artists put into their work.

This controversy has also brought up issues regarding the ownership and exploitation of artistic work. Artists have complained that their work is being exploited without permission to train artificial intelligence algorithms, which will then produce similar work with no credit or pay.

As the war of words continues, it's obvious that the trend of Ghibli-style portraits has struck a chord about what art is worth and what art means in the digital world. While there are those who view AI art as a means to create and express oneself, others perceive it as a danger to the nature of artistic integrity itself.

Ultimately, the solution falls somewhere in the middle. Instead of writing off AI-created art entirely, we need to be having a balanced discussion of its possible merits and demerits. By hearing out the worries of artists and critics, we can strive towards building a more inclusive and just art world that appreciates both human imagination and technological advancements.

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