Ghibli-style photo generator in ChatGPT: Fake warning letter from Studio Ghibli goes viral

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ChatGPT’s new feature for creating Ghibli-style photos has gone viral, sparking controversy with a fake cease and desist letter from Studio Ghibli. The letter, now debunked, accused AI applications of copyright infringement. Studio Ghibli clarified they did not issue any warning, and the fake letter had invalid contact details, making it clear it was fabricated.

As ChatGPT’s newly-launched Ghibli-style photo generating capabilities go viral worldwide, a fabricated warning letter, purportedly from Studio Ghibli, has gained significant traction online. This letter alleged that applications providing such image generation services are engaged in copyright infringement.

“Just got this cease and desist from Studio Ghibli,” a user posted on social media platform X and shared a copy of the ‘warning notice’ from Studio Ghibli.

The fabricated letter asserted that applications of this nature constitute copyright infringements and threatened legal action if the implicated business operations were not immediately ceased.

“AI creators deserve protection, not punishment. Expression is sacred. Imagination is not illegal. If I have to be a martyr to prove that, so be it. I’m assembling a legal team. Firms who believe in this fight, reach out,” the user said.

In response to inquiries from NHK, a Japanese publication, Studio Ghibli explicitly stated, “We have not issued a warning letter.” (translated from Google Translate).

Moreover, the fake cease and desist letter attributed to Studio Ghibli looks legitimate but the letter lists the sender as “Sakura-Hoshino LLP,” a legal entity with no recorded existence in either Japan or the US, says a report by ScreenRant.

The email address included is invalid, and the accompanying phone number is fabricated. While the country code associated with the phone number is accurate, the inclusion of the “555” prefix, a common placeholder in fictional media, indicates that the number is not genuine.

Not only ChatGPT, users can also use other AI image generators like Google Gemini and Grok by Elon Musk-owned Grok to create Ghibli-style portraits and photos.

TOI Tech Desk

The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.Read More

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