"Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is": Hayao Miyazaki, on AI art 

A lot of social media users are flooded with the uprising of the new AI trend where OpenAI's GPT-40 recreates Hayao Miyazaki's 'Ghibli' version of any image.

Many users happily follow the latest bandwagon. They are posting and resharing 'Ghiblified' images of not only their own personal images but images across several cultural and historical contexts as well.

But at the same time, this trend has given rise to many important conversations surrounding Hayao Miyazaki's works and legacy, his core vision behind creating the iconic Studio Ghibli films, and his strong criticism of the usage of AI in making art.

The critics of this AI trend pointed out not only the copyright issues associated with it, but they feel it to be a disservice to Hayao Miyazaki's legacy over the years.

They also point out that this trend has been dismissive of the core values and essence of what Miyazaki's art stands for. And that is life. The human experience that ties in its labour and its making.

In an old clip featuring Hayao Miyazaki, he is seen sharing his thoughts about AI, where he says:

"Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is".

Let us find out more details into what insight did Hayao Miyazaki share years ago about artificial intelligence.

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"I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all", Hayao Miyazaki on AI

The latest AI Ghibli trend has given rise to imperative debates and discourses surrounding art and labour. It also provokes conversations on the erasure of human experience from art and the overall anxieties around AI taking over human lives.

In this eight-year-old video featuring Hayao Miyazaki, he shares his thoughts about artificial intelligence.

In the video, some animators are seen displaying an animated video created by AI, to Hayao Miyazaki and the producer of Studio Ghibli, Toshio Suzuki. The video showcases a slimy, zombie-like creature who is walking in an odd fashion.

One of the designers in the group also said in the video:

"An artificial intelligence could present us grotesque movements which humans can't imagine. This is what we have been working on".

Upon watching the video, Hayao Miyazaki shares his thoughts about artificial intelligence, as he explains:

“Well..every morning, not in recent days, I see my friend who has a disability. It’s so hard for him just to do a high five; his arm with stiff muscle reaching out to my hand. Now, thinking of him, I can’t watch this stuff and find it interesting. Whoever creates this stuff has no idea what pain is or whatsoever. I am utterly disgusted”

Miyazaki further continued in his statement, where he staunchly stood against the usage of AI in his work, as he calls it to be 'an insult to life'. He says:

"If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it, but I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”

One of the designers responded to Hayao Miyazaki's statements by saying:

"This is just our experiment. We don't mean to do anything by showing it to the world."

Upon this, Toshio Suzuki posed a question, asking them about their goal. To this, one of the designers replied:

"Well, we would like to build a machine that can draw pictures like humans do."

The clip ends with a video of Miyazaki at work, with a voiceover of him where he says:

"I feel like we are nearing to the end of times. We humans are losing faith in ourselves".

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More about Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films

The Japanese Animation Studio Ghibli, was established in 1985, by Hayao Miyazaki, along with Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata.

Rooted in Japanese culture and folklore, the films of Studio Ghibli deeply focusses on nature and its preservation, anti-war sentiments, and beauty of life. In a lot of these films, children's lives are the central part of the storyline.

These handpainted animated films are also noted for being rooted in feminist values. Values of love, friendship, and solidarity are intrinsic in the films of Studio Ghibli. The stories of Studio Ghibli are not only for children, but are for all ages and are also timeless.

Here is a list of films from Studio Ghibli that you can certainly add to your watchlist today:

• Princess Mononoke (1997)
• Porco Rosso (1992)
• Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind (1984)
• Ponyo (2008)
• The Wind Rises (2013)
• Spirited Away (2001)
• My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
• Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
• Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
• The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
• Laputa: Castle In The Sky (1986)
• The Boy and the Heron (2023)

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Also read: 20 Animated movies with surprisingly deep themes you need to watch