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White House faces backlash for Ghibli-inspired image of convicted fentanyl dealer
The White House faces backlash for posting a Ghibli-inspired illustration of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, illegal migrant and fentanyl dealer, during her arrest.
The White House is has drawn flak after posting a Ghibli-inspired illustration of an illegal migrant and convicted fentanyl dealer, Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, in tears during her arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
The image, shared on the White House’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, depicted Basora-Gonzalez's March 12 arrest.
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In recent days, social media has been flooded with AI-generated images transformed into the iconic animation style of Studio Ghibli, started by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Brands, influencers, and political figures have jumped in to the trend, but the White House's decision to use it for a sensitive topic has sparked backlash.
“Just my two cents: official government accounts should NEVER try to be cool or trendy. This is even more cringy than when the FDA did this,” a user commented under the post shared by the White House.
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“We're living in levels of dystopia so deep that Black Mirror couldn’t even prophesise, parody or emulate it,” another user wrote, while another added, “This is horrible leadership. I'm on board with strict borders. But mocking them? This is embarrassing and shameful.”
A third commenter remarked, “I don’t care if you're a Republican or a Democrat or if you oppose immigration or support it, this is not the behaviour of responsible adults who are charged with the nation's wellbeing.”
Ethical concerns over Studio Ghibli AI tools
The backlash even referenced Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, noting that he would likely have disapproved of the use of his iconic art style in such a context. Miyazaki, known for his political stance, notably skipped the 2003 Oscars when Spirited Away won, citing his refusal to visit a country engaged in the Iraq War.
Beyond the public outrage, the viral trend has also sparked ethical concerns about the use of AI tools trained on copyrighted works. OpenAI, which has encouraged AI-generated art experiments, even saw its CEO Sam Altman join in by changing his own X profile picture to a Ghibli-style portrait.
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Basora-Gonzalez, the woman in the illustration, had been deported from the US after being convicted of fentanyl trafficking. She was arrested in Philadelphia by ICE agents for allegedly attempting to re-enter the country.
Some even defended the White House for the illustration. “I don’t know about you, but if you haven’t lost someone to fentanyl laced into something else, maybe sit this one out. this woman kills strangers without consequence, and the top replies are scolding white house for taking her off the streets? even accounts i used to respect. wild how many people here are this naive,” a user wrote.
