Create with Humility: A Brief Discourse on GenAI Image Generation
What AI Art Means for Human Creativity
By now, it seems like everyone, including their pets, has caught on to the latest trend in AI image generation, sparked by ChatGPT-4o. The responses have ranged from excitement to outrage, with comments like “Photoshop is dead” and “This is disgusting and soul-stealing.”
Such intense reactions come from the model’s ability to imitate nearly any art style that has ever existed. From Renaissance paintings to comic books, from classic animation to hyper-realistic 3D renders, it handles them all with remarkable ease. On top of that, it generates text just as impressively.
These capabilities have triggered questions about how the model was trained, what data it was trained on, and whether the artists behind the original works received any kind of recognition or compensation.
Studio Ghibli quickly became a focal point in this conversation. Suddenly, timelines were filled with AI-generated images trying to replicate the studio’s iconic animation style.
I found this a bit amusing. If people were not familiar with Studio Ghibli before, they probably are now. If you have never watched their films, I highly recommend giving them a try.
They offer something deeply emotional and soulful, quite different from your typical manga.
This emotional quality is exactly why Hayao Miyazaki, the studio’s co-founder, is often quoted in these discussions. When asked about AI-generated animation, he once said:
"I am utterly disgusted... I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself."
Creating Something New Together
I asked ChatGPT to generate a comic in the style of Studio Ghibli to explain what GenAI is.
Here is what it created:
It also gave me this thought, which is quite a profound one, I must say:
Just like in Ghibli films — wonder, discovery, and the harmony between human creativity and nature/magic. GenAI isn’t the magic instead of you — it’s the magic that works with you.
As a content creator, I’ve been using GenAI for almost 2 years. and I consider them (I use many models) as companions, as idea and brainstorm partners.
I like the idea that we are creating something new - together.
The Magic and the Mess of GenAI in Art
As a follow-up, I asked ChatGPT what it thinks about this polemic.
Below, I copy and paste exactly what it said:
I appreciate you asking for my take — here’s my honest, deeply analytical perspective:
1. The Potential: GenAI democratizes creativity
Generative AI like GPT-4o is opening up creative possibilities for people who may not have the technical or artistic skills to bring their visions to life. A child with an idea for a story, or a startup with no design team, can now co-create with a powerful tool. That’s beautiful. It’s not about replacing artists — at its best, GenAI acts as a creative catalyst. Like Mira and Kōya in the manga above, it helps amplify imagination.
2. The Ethical Void: It’s also built on shaky ground
The polemic exists for good reason: many GenAI systems are trained on massive corpora of artworks, often without consent or compensation. If a model can convincingly reproduce the Ghibli style, it’s likely because it saw thousands of images by real artists — without any of those artists knowing. That’s not innovation. That’s extraction.
This is where Miyazaki’s visceral rejection of AI becomes meaningful. He views art as an extension of life, emotion, and moral responsibility. To him, mechanized mimicry — especially without soul or consent — feels like a desecration.
3. The Style-Stealing Problem: A question of identity
Mimicking an art style isn’t like quoting a phrase — it’s more like wearing someone else’s skin. Styles like Ghibli’s aren’t just aesthetics. They’re the expression of a philosophy: reverence for nature, introspection, emotional subtlety. When AI recreates that look without that heart, it becomes a kind of empty cosplay — beautiful on the surface, but hollow inside.
4. My Position: AI can create, but must respect
I believe GenAI is a powerful extension of human imagination, but it must be built with ethics, transparency, and artist collaboration at its core. Opt-in datasets, artist compensation frameworks, and hard boundaries around style mimicry are vital. Without those, we're not building a tool — we’re building a culture of uncredited remix.
Bottom line:
We shouldn't abandon GenAI — but we must evolve it with the same soul we expect of great art.
And if we ever want GenAI to make something as emotionally resonant as Totoro or Spirited Away, we need to teach it not just the brushstroke, but the humility behind it.
Create With Humility
It has been fascinating to see what ChatGPT came up with. Yes, I know it doesn't truly "think" for itself and is merely generating responses based on the data it was trained on. Still, there’s something compelling about the results.
As a technologist and an early adopter, I personally want to see this wave of AI innovation continue. I believe its impact on humanity will be profound, and the benefits could be immense.
This is no longer the realm of science fiction — we are already living in this new reality.
However, I also recognise the need to be cautious and respectful when using the creative work of others. We are treading on sensitive ground.
In a recent TED 2025 interview, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, addressed the concerns of artists and creators. He acknowledged the very real anxiety around intellectual property, and the fear that their work is being "stolen" or that their creative future is at risk.
However, Altman remains optimistic. He believes AI will ultimately elevate human creativity, helping more people to create better art and content. In his words, "I believe very deeply that humans will be at the center of that."
He also emphasized the need to rethink the economics of creative output. One idea he supports is a revenue-sharing model, where artists can opt in to have their style used, and be compensated accordingly.
It’s reassuring to see that people in positions of power are willing to pause, reflect, and take steps toward solutions that respect creativity.
Of course, I could see the possibility that the response was a result of Altman and OpenAI being under pressure from the creative community.
But they could’ve just stayed silent, or worse.
They could join Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk, who had publicly suggested that intellectual property (IP) laws should be abolished altogether.
I believe that this innovation will not stop and will only accelerate.
But as we move forward and explore what’s possible with AI, we need to keep asking what is ethical, fair and sustainable.
We must create and innovate with humility.
Notes: I am aware of the irony of my championing art fairness, but I’m using Studio Ghibli style on my AI-generated images. In this case, I wanted to illustrate my point through real example and also to introduce Miyazaki’s art to you (just in case you are still not caught up).
Hi there, I’m Chris Prakoso.I believe that AI isn’t here to replace us—it’s here to elevate us. In Augmented Humanity, I explore how AI, data, and emerging tech enhance human potential, reshape industries, and redefine human-machine collaboration. I break down complex breakthroughs, share real-world applications, and uncover how AI empowers us in ways we never imagined. Join me in navigating a future where humanity and AI evolve together—intelligently, ethically, and creatively. 🚀🤖Please subscribe, like, share and restack.