Even OpenAI Didn’t Anticipate GPT-4o’s Native Image Generation Becoming an Instant Phenomenon!
Even OpenAI didn’t anticipate GPT-4o’s native image generation becoming an instant phenomenon! Over the past few days, the internet has been flooded with AI-generated Ghibli-style imagery. Netizens jokingly coined a new meaning for AGI: “All Ghibli Images.”
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From viral memes to celebrity parodies, iconic movie scenes, and even personal photos—nothing escaped the “Ghiblification” wave. The trend grew so intense that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman quipped about GPUs overheating, forcing OpenAI to throttle image generation speeds.
Free users now face a one-week delay, limited to 3 daily image generations
In a midnight surprise, OpenAI doubled down by updating GPT-4o and releasing a 13-page technical report.
Technical Report: https://cdn.openai.com/11998be9-5319-4302-bfbf-1167e093f1fb/Native_Image_Generation_System_Card.pdf
The new model surged to #2 on LMSYS rankings, surpassing Grok-3 and even OpenAI’s own GPT-4.5. Key upgrades include:
・Enhanced adherence to complex, multi-step instructions
・Improved problem-solving for technical and coding challenges
・Significant boosts in intuitive creativity
・Reduced reliance on emojis
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The GPT-4o frenzy has eclipsed former AI art titans like Midjourney and FLUX, now relegated to obscurity. For creative professionals and animators, this represents both awe and existential threat.
After all, why pay for human labor when a text prompt delivers instant results?
Legacy AI Art Models Washed Ashore
Midjourney’s CEO appears rattled. Leaked messages reveal him dismissing GPT-4o as “slow, low-quality image generation” and accusing OpenAI of “harmful competition for fundraising.” He predicted the trend would fade within a week.
Analysts speculate GPT-4o’s dominance in accessibility—not aesthetics—explains the panic. While Midjourney excels in artistic refinement and built-in editors, most users prioritize consistency over niche creative workflows.
With diffusion models reaching saturation, Ghibli-style AI art now dominates. Midjourney’s rumored V7 update next Monday may be its last stand.
When GPT-4o Meets Ghibli: The Internet Goes Wild
From family portraits to iconic movie stills, every visual has been reimagined in Studio Ghibli’s signature style. Even Sam Altman swapped his social media avatar to a Ghibli-fied version.
He cheekily taunted Google: “My entire timeline is mind-blowing images!”
OpenAI’s Chief Scientist Mark Chen joined the hype train, sharing Ghibli-ized versions of:
・NVIDIA’s GPU launch events
・Elon Musk balancing cutlery
・The $500B Stargate AI project
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Users flooded timelines with Ghibli-style pets, selfies, and classic memes.
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Even cinematic moments from Harry Potter, Oppenheimer, and Titanic got the treatment.
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The entire ComfyUI workflow collapsed into a single text prompt. Users simply type: “Turn us into Roblox/GTA-3/Minecraft/Ghibli characters” for instant magic.
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While Ghibli dominates, GPT-4o flexes versatility with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, One Piece, and Demon Slayer styles.
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Reverse Ghibli—converting anime to realism—also stunned viewers.
A scene from Spirited Away featuring Yubaba, Chihiro, and No-Face:
Chihiro and Haku rendered with stunning consistency:
Why Ghibli? The Metaphor of “Model-as-Product” and Visual Expression Rights
Studio Ghibli’s legacy—Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro—resonates globally. GPT-4o’s frictionless style transfer democratized this aesthetic, empowering users to reinterpret personal and cultural imagery. Brands like Zomato jumped in, posting “ChatGPT cooked” campaigns.
Ghibli’s Enduring Cultural Capital
Ghibli films evoke nostalgia and emotional depth, transcending animation to become cultural touchstones. This emotional resonance made them the perfect canvas for AI reinterpretation.
The “Model-as-Product” Revolution
GPT-4o’s integrated image generator—accessible via simple prompts like “Ghiblify this photo”—eliminated technical barriers. Traditional workflows involving Stable Diffusion or ComfyUI now seem archaic. OpenAI’s approach validates the “model-as-product” philosophy over complex agent-based systems.
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The Rise of Visual Expression Rights
The trend highlights “visual expression rights”—AI empowering individuals to reinterpret culture. Examples include:
・Interstellar reimagined as Ghibli art
・A 102-scene Lord of the Rings conversion taking 9 hours
Soon, full films could auto-convert to any style.
Miyazaki’s Scathing Critique vs. AI’s Creative Takeover
NVIDIA scientist Jim Fan declared: “Today marks creative industries’ compute scaling moment.” Hollywood budgets may soon prioritize GPU hours over human labor.
Ironically, Hayao Miyazaki condemned AI art in 2016 after viewing a crude demo: “This is an insult to life itself.”
Even his critique became a Ghibli-style meme:
While Miyazaki’s team hand-paints 60,000-70,000 frames per film—like a 4-second The Wind Rises scene taking 15 months—AI challenges this craftsmanship.
As Ilya Sutskever noted in 2023: “Those clinging to ‘only human art counts’ will struggle in this new era.”
Conclusion: Clash of Eras
The Ghibli craze epitomizes AI’s cultural paradox: tradition vs. innovation, resistance vs. adoption. Whether embracing algorithms or preserving hand-drawn artistry, one truth emerges—the democratization of creative power is irreversible. This AI-fueled “Ghibli dream” is just the beginning.