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Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, March 21, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.

In 2016, Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki publicly rejected AI-generated animation after watching a demonstration of a machine learning program that made a 3D human figure move in disturbing, zombie-like ways. He called what he saw an insult to life and said he would never incorporate such technology into his own work. The moment was filmed for an NHK documentary and resurfaced widely during the 2025 AI art debate.

Details

The incident took place at Ghibli's studio, where Dwango chairman Nobuo Kawakami presented a machine learning demo in which a 3D model taught itself to move without any programming around pain or bodily limits — producing grotesque results. Miyazaki connected the footage to a disabled friend of his and expressed deep moral objection. It is important to note that the demo shown was a motion-simulation experiment, not a modern generative AI image tool of the kind used in 2025 to replicate Ghibli's art style — a context that is frequently missing when the clip circulates online. No Studio Ghibli corporate policy document has ever referenced or formalized Miyazaki's personal views on AI.

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Sources & Evidence

News Article

“An insult to life itself”: Hayao Miyazaki critiques an animation made by artificial intelligence

Quartz·Jul 2022

https://qz.com/859454/the-director-of-spirited-away-says-animation-made-by-artificial-intelligence-is-an-insult-to-life-itself

News Article

Hayao Miyazaki Calls Artificial Intelligence Animation ‘An Insult To Life Itself’

IndieWire·Dec 2016

https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/hayao-miyazaki-artificial-intelligence-animation-insult-to-life-studio-ghibli-1201757617/

News Article

Hayao Miyazaki Calls AI CG Animation Presentation 'An Insult to Life Itself'

Anime News Network·Dec 2016

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2016-12-09/hayao-miyazaki-calls-ai-cg-animation-presentation-an-insult-to-life-itself/.109717

Cite this record

Trace Foundation. (2026). Studio Ghibli: In 2016, Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki publicly rejected AI-generated animation after watching a demonstration of a machine learning program that made a 3D human figure move in disturbing, zombie-like ways. He called what he saw an insult to life and said he would never incorporate such technology into his own work. The moment was filmed for an NHK documentary and resurfaced widely during the 2025 AI art debate (data as of 2026-03-21) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/a2c1f25f-d3fb-467b-9aee-d59959736172. Accessed October 14, 2026.

Stable link: https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/a2c1f25f-d3fb-467b-9aee-d59959736172
Data as of: March 21, 2026
Last verified: March 24, 2026

How to cite AI Trace

Other practices by Studio Ghibli

OtherIn October 2025, a Japanese trade group called CODA — whose members include Studio Ghibli and its parent company Nippon TV — formally demanded that OpenAI stop using Japanese creative content to train its AI video generator, Sora 2. The letter said CODA had confirmed that Sora 2 was producing videos that closely resembled Japanese content, and argued this was only possible if that content had been used as training data without permission. This was a collective industry action, not a standalone Ghibli initiative.Creative GenStudio Ghibli does not use AI tools at any stage of making its animated films. The studio still draws everything by hand, and director Hayao Miyazaki insists on doing whatever can be done manually. While Ghibli helped create a free animation software called OpenToonz — which later received AI add-ons made by a third party — there is no evidence Ghibli itself uses those AI features.

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