Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is entirely oblivious to the recent explosion of generative artificial intelligence.
Producer Toshio Suzuki revealed to the Asahi Shimbun that the director shut himself off from outside information during the production of «The Boy and the Heron».
The internet recently experienced a surge of AI-generated images mimicking the iconic Studio Ghibli aesthetic. Suzuki noted he received numerous interview requests regarding this trend but deliberately declined them. He predicted the fad would quickly fade and dismissed AI-generated animation as transparent.
He added that such creations lack intrigue and hold very little point.
A human touch in digital age
Miyazaki previously lambasted an early experimental AI animation as «an insult to life itself».
Despite this strong historical stance, Suzuki’s recent comments indicate the filmmaker remains completely detached from modern generative platforms, images and videos. During the interview, Suzuki was shown a prompt where an AI predicted Ghibli would stand as a cultural presence demonstrating human artistic creation.
The producer agreed with the sentiment but stressed that AI and computer graphics cannot replicate Miyazaki’s unique artistic expression. Across his nine films as writer-director for the studio, Miyazaki has consistently delivered profoundly moving animated features that maintain a special place in the Studio Ghibli catalogue and the wider annals of pop culture.
The acclaimed animator is not the only high-profile director who heavily distances himself from modern technology.
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan also famously eschews smartphones, personal email accounts and internet-connected devices to avoid digital distractions. Much like Miyazaki’s reliance on his studio partners, Nolan manages his necessary technological communications through the help of his wife and producing partner Emma Thomas.
