Studio Ghibli CEO Speaks on 'Ghibli-Style AI Image' Craze... "Miyazaki Doesn't Even Know AI Exists"

Miyazaki Hayao Dedicated Himself to Creation by Cutting Off Outside Information
Suzuki: "The Complete Opposite of AI"

Toshio Suzuki, CEO and Chairman of the Board at Studio Ghibli, who has overseen the production of Hayao Miyazaki's works, shared his thoughts that although artificial intelligence (AI) can imitate the so-called 'Ghibli style' externally, it is difficult for AI to create expressions that are truly on par with genuine Ghibli productions.

"Everyone will quickly lose interest"... Suzuki's view on AI mimicking the 'Ghibli style'

Scene from Spirited Away. Studio Ghibli

In an interview with the Asahi Shimbun on September 6th, Suzuki revealed that when it was once trendy to create 'Ghibli-style' images with AI, he declined all interview requests from various media outlets. He explained, "I turned them down because I thought everyone would quickly lose interest," adding, "While a certain type of animation can be easily made with AI, anyone with even a bit of background knowledge can immediately recognize that it's fake. It lacks both meaning and fun."

Suzuki also shared that Director Miyazaki pays so little attention to the outside world that he is not even aware of the existence of AI. Although Miyazaki dislikes discussing current events and has little interest in worldly affairs, his works nevertheless incorporate sharp insights into modern society. Suzuki described this as "instinctively knowing what is happening in the world right now."

During production of "How Will You Live?", which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in the United States in 2024, Miyazaki distanced himself from all forms of media, including smartphones, newspapers, and TV, even avoiding social interactions, to focus exclusively on creation by shutting out outside information. Suzuki recalled, "While AI tries hard to collect information in any way it can, he did exactly the opposite."

He further described that, regarding the iconic scene in which a human face suddenly pops out of the heron's mouth, experts have noted that "this is an expression that can never be achieved with computer graphics (CG)." Suzuki emphasized, “The way Miyazaki worked—isolating himself from external information—ultimately resulted in something that is most difficult for computers to replicate.”

Suzuki also uses AI..."It feels like I've gained a competent assistant"

'How Will You Live?' Poster. Daewon Media

On the other hand, Suzuki also shared that he personally makes use of AI. "Out of curiosity, I started using AI, and it didn't take long to realize that you can actually have a conversation with it," he said. "As I chatted, AI quickly recognized, 'You're Mr. Suzuki from Ghibli,' thanks to the abundance of my past work and statements available online." He went on to say, "It feels as if I've gained a capable assistant who knows everything about my past. It's convenient and helpful."

However, recalling his experience assigning AI to write drafts, Suzuki pointed to its limitations. "I tried letting AI handle a bit of the writing, but it became clear very quickly that if I entrusted it with the whole thing, the results would be a mess," he said. "If I’m not clear about what I want to write, I can't use AI effectively."

Meanwhile, Suzuki has produced most of the feature-length animated films directed by Miyazaki since joining Studio Ghibli in 1989.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.