In response to copyright infringement allegations, OpenAI CEO says the ChatGPT Ghibli-style photo craze is a “win-win” for society.
In an interview with content creator Varun Mayya on April 7, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was asked about the backlash after the company launched a feature to create Studio Ghibli-style photos on ChatGPT.
In response, Altman said that “the trade-off is worth it” because AI makes it easier to create art than it was 30 years ago. Back then, people often needed equipment like camcorders and VHS tapes, “complicated” editing, and ways to distribute because there was no internet or YouTube.
“Now, with just a smartphone and an idea, anyone can publish something that makes sense,” the OpenAI CEO said. “If someone has something interesting to share, they’ll put it out there and the world will benefit from it.”
While he acknowledged that AI changes the nature of art, making creative tools more accessible to everyone is a win for society overall, even if the transition isn’t perfect. “Giving people more tools make it easier for them to do things, reduces barriers, and increases the number of people who can contribute to society,” he said. “Overall, everyone benefits from that.”
On June 26, OpenAI announced the Images in ChatGPT image generator, using the power of the GPT-4o model. In addition to producing "realistic" images, supporting editing or restoring old photos, the tool also helps create animated images in many different styles such as Ghibli, or "binder" self-portraits.
The new feature quickly became popular, causing the number of chatbot users to increase sharply. However, OpenAI's tool also raised concerns when recreating the style of copyrighted works became easy. Evan Brown, an intellectual property attorney at the law firm Neal & McDevitt, said that products like OpenAI's operate in a "legal gray area", meaning they are not clearly protected by copyright law.
In a conversation with Mayya, Altman predicted that AI will soon automate design work. However, according to him, this technology also opens up new creative opportunities, instead of reducing related work.
“Ideas are still the most important factor. We need a lot of good graphic design in the world,” he said. “The demand for design will skyrocket. There may be fewer people doing design, but they will make more money.”