▶︎ GPU: Ghibli Processing Unit
▶︎ GPT: Ghibli Production Tools
▶︎ AGI: All Ghibli Images

It’s not easy to take one clear side. These debates often fall into a familiar back-and-forth:

“Everyone learns by studying past works—how is that illegal?”
vs.
“This isn’t the same. This is copying and mass-producing replicas.”

Right now, the spotlight is on illustrators and visual artists. But who’s to say it won’t be your story next? It’s important to marvel at progress—and yes, even enjoy it. But it’s equally important to pause and listen to the voices of those who may be losing something in the process.

Hayao Miyazaki is widely quoted as saying AI is “disgusting” and “an insult to life itself.” These strong words stem from a 2016 NHK documentary, where Miyazaki reacts to developers demonstrating an AI image generation model. The scene captures his blunt, heartfelt response—one that has since echoed across the broader conversation on AI and creativity.

To understand the full meaning, we need to know the context.

The developers presented a scene generated by AI that depicted zombie-like movements—a creature with missing limbs crawling across the floor. It was a graphic and provocative video, shown as an example of what AI could create.

Upon viewing it, Hayao Miyazaki recalled a close friend with a disability—someone who struggles with muscle control—and said he could never find that video amusing. He emphasized that only those who are utterly ignorant of human suffering could make something like this. He called it “disgusting” and said it was “an insult to life itself.”

When comparing various translations of the scene, there seem to be two common interpretations of what Miyazaki says next:

1. I would never want to use this kind of 'technology' in my work.

2. I don’t want my work to be associated with this kind of 'thing' at all.

Curious about the nuance, I looked up the original Japanese subtitles and translated them myself.

The phrase often translated as "this kind of technology" was actually just “kore (これ)" in the original Japanese, meaning simply “this.”

That subtle difference suggests that Miyazaki’s criticism may not have been directed at AI technology itself, but rather at what was made—graphic, provocative content created without empathy for human suffering. While he does express concern about the direction of technology later in the clip, it doesn’t come across as outright hatred or disgust toward AI as a whole.

🔗 You can watch the video yourself and decide what he really meant.