Ever since OpenAI launched ChatGPT’s Ghibli-style AI image generator last week, it has taken social media by storm. From politicians and celebrities to everyday users, everyone seems to be sharing their artificial intelligence-generated portraits in the signature style of Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki. The latest version lets people turn their own photos — or even viral internet memes — into amazing Ghibli-style artwork.
But not everyone is on board. Digital privacy activists on social media platform X are sounding the alarm, claiming OpenAI might be using this trend as a way to gather thousands of personal images for AI training. While users are having fun with the feature, critics warn that they could unknowingly be handing over fresh facial data to OpenAI, raising serious privacy concerns.
The trend highlighted ethical concerns about artificial intelligence tools trained on copyrighted creative works and what that means for the future livelihoods of human artists. Miyazaki, 84, known for his hand-drawn approach and whimsical storytelling, has expressed scepticism about AI’s role in animation.
The activists, however, urged that OpenAI’s data collection strategy is more than just an AI copyright issue. According to them, it allows the company to acquire voluntarily submitted images, bypassing legal restrictions that apply to web-scraped data.
Under GDPR regulations, OpenAI must justify scraping images from the internet under the legal basis of “legitimate interest,” which means they must implement additional safeguards to protect user privacy and ensure compliance. This includes demonstrating that data collection is necessary, does not override individuals’ rights, and follows strict transparency and accountability measures.
In a lengthy X post, Luiza Jarovsky, co-founder of the AI, Tech & Privacy Academy, said when people voluntarily upload these images, they give their consent to OpenAI to process them (Article 6.1.a of the GDPR). This is a different legal ground that gives more freedom to OpenAI, and the legitimate interest balancing test no longer applies.
“Moreover, OpenAI’s privacy policy explicitly states that the company collects personal data input by users to train its AI models when users haven’t opted out,” she wrote.
Luiza Jarovsky further said OpenAI is gaining free and easy access to personal or private images, and only they will have the originals. Social media platforms and other AI companies will only see the “Ghiblified” version.
“Moreover, the trend is ongoing, and people are learning that when they want a fun avatar of themselves, they can simply upload their pictures to ChatGPT. They no longer need third-party providers for that,” she said.
Himachal Cyber Warriors, which claimed to be a team of cyber security experts, wrote: “Think before you #Ghibli. That cute Ghibli-style selfie? It might cost more than you think. Your photo could be misused or manipulated. AI may train on it without your consent. Data brokers might sell it for targeted ads. Stay cyber smart. Your privacy matters.”
What ChatGPT said
OpenAI is yet to issue a statement on the safety of the personal data for the users using the Ghibli-style AI image art version. However, when HT entered a prompt asking ChatGPT if it safe to upload personal photos in Ghibli art generator, it replied, “No, it’s not safe to upload personal photos to any AI tool unless you’re certain about its privacy policies and data handling practices. OpenAI does not retain or use uploaded images beyond the immediate session, but it’s always best to avoid sharing sensitive or personal images with AI services. If privacy is a concern, consider using offline tools or apps specifically designed for secure image processing.”
How to keep your biometric data safe
Before jumping on the next AI image trend, consider the risks. Here’s how to protect your privacy:
- Think twice before uploading personal photos for AI-generated images.
- Avoid sharing high-resolution images on social media—they can be scraped for AI training.
- Use PINs or passwords instead of facial recognition to unlock devices.
- Limit camera access by checking which apps have permission to use it.