Internet turns into Ghibli-inspired playground. 5 things to know about ChatGPT’s image generator

From trippy landscapes to amazing portraits, ChatGPT’s new image generator lets users give their pics a Ghibli-style makeover. The internet is going crazy.

Updated on: Mar 27, 2025, 09:06:06 IST

By Trisha Sengupta

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The latest version of OpenAI’s image generation technology has taken over the internet. From trippy landscapes to quirky avatars, users are going gaga and creating studio Ghibli-style AI images. While some are turning their favourite pics into works of art, others are creating memes using it.

People are posting varied images in Studio Ghibli style using ChatGPT’s native image generator. (X/@ivivekch, @heyBarsee)

Here are five things to know about the image generator:

Also Read: 'This is next-level': ChatGPT’s new image generator stuns desi internet with its accuracy

What is Ghibli style?

OpenAI recently launched GPT-4o, labelling it the “most advanced image generator yet.” It also creates images replicating Studio Ghibli's anime style. The company is famous for creating popular anime like The Boy and the Heron and Spirited Away.

Here's an post by a Blinkit product manager who tried it with iconic Bollywood scenes.

Here are some memes that got the makeover:

ChatGPT on new image generator:

“At OpenAI, we have long believed image generation should be a primary capability of our language models. That’s why we’ve built our most advanced image generator yet into GPT‑4o. The result—image generation that is not only beautiful, but useful,” the AI company wrote.

Also Read: ChatGPT falsely claims Norwegian man killed his sons, he takes legal action against Sam Altman's OpenAI

Sam Altman on Ghibli style:

The OpenAI boss also shared a post on this new development. However, instead of sharing a pic, he took a witty dig at himself.

“Be me. Grind for a decade trying to help make superintelligence to cure cancer or whatever. Mostly no one cares for first 7.5 years, then for 2.5 years everyone hates you for everything. Wake up one day to hundreds of messages: ‘look i made you into a twink ghibli style haha’,” he posted on X. He also changed his profile picture on X into the same Studio Ghibli style.

Who can use the image generation feature?

The ChaGPT's new native image generation feature was scheduled to roll out for Plus, Pro, Team and Free users on the chatbots. However, in a later X post, Sam Altman updated that the feature for the Free users has been "delayed for a while".

Will it cause legal issues?

Evan Brown, an intellectual property lawyer at the law firm Neal & McDevitt, told Techcrunch that this product by OpenAI falls in a legal grey area.

“I think this raises the same question that we’ve been asking ourselves for a couple years now,” he said, adding, “What are the copyright infringement implications of going out, crawling the web, and copying into these databases?”

Trending on Google

While people are having fun generating Ghibli-style photos, some are also wondering what it is all about—especially those who are not well-versed in the world of anime. As people search more about this style and ChatGPT’s image generator, the word Ghibli is trending on Google.

Have you tried this new feature? Did GPT-4o's native image generator impress you?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trisha Sengupta
Trisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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