Creative Machinas

Creative Machinas

machina.mondays // Ghibli AI or Garbage?

The elites say it's insulting, lawyers say it breaches copyright but what if the rest of us think it's the future?

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Nigel Horrocks's avatar
Justin Matthews
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Nigel Horrocks
Apr 07, 2025
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In this Issue: We explore the uneasy collision between AI and creativity—how machines mimic beloved styles like Studio Ghibli, challenge our definitions of originality, and stir legal, ethical, and emotional debates across art, film, and forensics. From viral memes to courtroom drama, generative AI is reshaping what we value as human-made—and forcing us to ask: when style is free to copy, what makes creation meaningful?

Studio Ghibli - Copyright Issue or Just Copy of Style
Studio Ghibli - Copyright Issue or Just Copy of Style | Generated by Open AI Dalle3-Chat4o

Style Without Substance? AI, Art, and the Copyright Conundrum

When artificial intelligence began generating images in the recognisable style of Studio Ghibli, the response was equal parts enchantment and unease.

For some, it was enchanting to see those dreamy pastels and expressive cartoon faces conjured by text prompts. For others, something felt off. One AI-generated image, styled like a Ghibli frame, depicted a weeping woman’s immigration arrest and was posted by the White House’s…

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