WHY IS HAYAO MIYAZAKI’S FRUSTRATION JUSTIFIED?

I am not gonna lie, but I was momentarily fascinated by the current “viral” Studio Ghibli trend before returning to my senses. The number of posts and reels on this trend that popped into my feed is humongous and is still going on. It’s mind-numbing, to say the least. But can we really blame people for using it? Because any trend will trick people into trying it with all the buzz surrounding it. We are humans, after all, and we do fall for simple things in life. But why is this trend not so simple, and why did the original creator express dissatisfaction with this?

 

To help you understand the depth of this issue, I am sharing two versions of a same story, one of which I wrote. Here comes the first one.

 

VERSION 1

 

“The grimy crockery clattering in the sink as they stumbled down the stack caused me more distress than her words. She was an unexpected visitor. Neither was I prepared to serve my guest a hearty meal on time nor was my home organised enough to host one. But there she was, sitting on my sofa, rocking her legs anxiously and judging me with her side eye. My Bua was back from the US, and she decided to bless us with a surprise visit along with her husband. The poor thing was shifting uncomfortably in his chair as she bombarded me with questions one after another.”

 

VERSION 2 

“The grimy crockery clattered in the sink, tumbling down the stack, its noise far more distressing than the barrage of words coming from her. She was an unexpected guest—one I hadn’t planned for. My home was in no state to host, and I certainly wasn’t ready to serve her a hearty meal on time. Yet, there she was, sitting on my sofa, legs rocking anxiously, her side-eye sharp and judgmental.

My Bua had returned from the US, and with her came an unannounced visit, accompanied by her husband. He sat across from her, shifting awkwardly in his chair, looking like he was waiting for an escape from the storm of questions she kept throwing my way.

“How’s work? Are you dating anyone yet? Have you gained weight? Why do you keep wearing that same dress?”

Each question felt like a jab, leaving me fumbling for polite answers while my mind raced with thoughts of all the things I should have prepared for—except this.”

 

Very obviously, the first version was written by me last month for a short story contest hosted by Readomania. I know it is imperfect and needs fine-tuning of the language, structure and dialogue delivery. But you know what? I enjoyed writing every bit of it. I spent hours crafting the beginning, middle portion and a sensible ending with reasonably decent prose and an acceptable syntax. I read, reread and revised it multiple times before it could finally be submitted. I am sure this is the same with every author over here, or any creator for that matter. We all know we aren’t perfect, but we keep trying. And in craft, perfection isn’t a necessity. That is where the dispute arises between a human creator and a lifeless counterpart.

  

What bothers me most about version two is that ChatGPT spent hardly a couple of seconds to generate a “perfect” version of my story, and it just appeared in a matter of a flick of a finger. When I read version two, it sounded perfect, lyrically aesthetic, and more appealing. I didn’t stop there. I gave the ChatGPT prompt after prompt and was amazed by how quickly it came up with a response in the form of a perfect story. Now, as a reader, though, I was amused; as an artist, I felt truly threatened. What distressed me was that a story I created with hours of dedication was just rewritten in seconds! Then, imagine how someone of Miyazaki’s stature with a legacy of years of creating art would feel about all this. Seeing his years of hard work, diligence, and discipline getting overrun by a software must hurt him to his core. 

  

People have already started talking about how AI will take over medicine and other skilled professions in the future. But why is no one talking about the art dying? Now, when we can be sure that no writer, including me, will be comfortable using AI as a writing tool, many of us use AI assistance for refining and proofreading our works. While it may not be entirely recommended, it isn’t considered unethical by many. But what if there comes a time when there isn’t a need for writers or editors or proofreaders anymore? We are humans, and protecting our craftsmanship is our first instinct when they are endangered, and both Miyazaki and I are justified in wondering so.

 

But wait, does art and creation come down to just perfection? Is that so simple? No way! Art is an expression, an escape. It’s the resistance to the compelling perfection we strive for. Art can be imperfect but never replaceable. 

I stopped for a few seconds and reread the generated stories again, now with more attention to detail. Keeping perfection and other characteristics aside, these stories certainly felt very bland compared to what I had written. My imperfect and immature writing gave me more thrill and joy when reading than the emotion-deprived ChatGPT-created stories. The same holds true for those AI-generated images of Ghibli recreation. 

 

So, it all comes down to the fact that this will only impact consumerism and, in no way, art creation. An artist will never stop creating just because they have an invisible competitor. On the other hand, the people who consume and enjoy art can decide which ones they will support. What we consume more is what sells, and the power to choose depends on users rather than creators. So, let's keep supporting creators, diverge from coded art and try to keep the intention of creating alive. 

This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop

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