The rise of the Ghibli trend has become a hot topic lately. ChatGPT’s Ghibli-style AI image generator was used by almost everyone, from common people to politicians to celebrities and even influencers, showcasing AI-generated portraits in the iconic style.

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The Ghibli trend lets you transform your photos or even viral memes into stunning Ghibli-inspired art.

The trend started when OpenAI introduced native image generation in its latest AI model, GPT-4o. Users quickly started converting their images into animated versions reminiscent of the beloved Japanese animation studio’s signature style.

AI and the Ghibli trend risks

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But, as the trend continues to grow in popularity, there are valid concerns regarding its safety. Is the trend safe? Is everyone onboard? While the Ghibli trend serves as motivation for countless individuals to express their creativity, it also raises issues of privacy and data security. After all, turning personal photos into pieces of art is, in simple terms, an invitation to share sensitive information with AI. With the surge in trend popularity, it’s important to wonder, do we understand how our data is utilised?

OpenAI must justify its scraping of images off the internet for use under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by claiming it was done with “legitimate interest,” which means user privacy is protected. This essentially requires OpenAI to prove that the collection of these images is indeed necessary, and that it considers individual rights, and complies with transparency and accountability.

While outlining an in-depth argument on X, Luiza Jarovsky, AI, Tech & Privacy Academy co-founder, stated that the uploading of images by people is tantamount to an approval for OpenAI to exploit them under Article 6.1.a of GDPR. That provision gives OpenAI a lot of leeway since the balancing of legitimate interests is not as stringent.

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Is it a safe space or a risky obsession?

The Ghibli-style portrait trend is creative and comforting, but it is important to recognise its limitations and hazards.