The month of March 2025 closed with several news stories that shocked the world. However, one event captured the attention of everyone. While Myanmar was reeling from the aftermath of an earthquake, thousands of people online enjoyed the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which allows an image to be adapted to the illustration styles of various artists and studios.
Although it is possible to generate illustrations with styles as varied as The Simpsons to South Park, images based on the unmistakable appearance of Studio Ghibli stood out by far. This situation produced a series of consequences that have been repeated in previous trends involving one of the emblematic tools of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Therefore, we list four lessons that this event has taught us.
Brand prestige. Many people have marveled at the stories told by the studio created by Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. This has allowed Studio Ghibli to create a well-known and beloved brand around it, beloved by audiences from almost every corner. Therefore, it’s no surprise that, with so many possibilities for adapting photography with the help of artificial intelligence, the studio’s aesthetic has been preferred, as the aim is, among other things, to unite the values and emotions of the original image with those offered by the animation house.
Ecological concerns. Shortly after the internet was flooded with adapted images, a debate arose about the environmental consequences of the tool released at the end of last month. The water consumption used to cool the hardware was highlighted. It’s worth noting that other online-based functions and resources also consume elements such as coal, oil, and minerals. Brands must continue to pay attention to the genuine concerns of their consumers on this matter.
Copyright. This isn’t the first time concerns have arisen on this topic. Whether it’s the generation of maps or artificial voices based on products made by real people, alarms are raised about the lack of legal regulation on the matter. This is no minor issue. Lines of action are opening up, ranging from the cost and access to inputs that allow for training neural networks to the displacement of creative workers in the entertainment industry.
Neutral use. Another discussion that has arisen concerns the responsibility that both the promoters of artificial intelligence and its users have. In the past, a more or less clear distinction has been made on various issues. For example, a knife can be purchased by anyone, but its use depends on its owner. With this trend, we have witnessed politicians using the prestige of Miyazaki’s works to their advantage, with varying results.
We are fortunate to live in these times, where we can witness a far-reaching transformation in the way we can delegate repetitive processes. In a preliminary review, we believed that this would lead to more free time for people to perform other, higher-value-added functions. Instead, we are seeing that some jobs will need to adapt to this innovation to make alternatives like ChatGPT part of their tools and not a complete enemy.
Market Research is no stranger to the effects of this transformation. At Acertiva, we are aware of these changes and seek to apply them to our operations within an ethical and effective framework. If you have a need for consumer and brand knowledge in LATAM, please contact us. We will respond with a guide to how we can work together to make your next success story a reality.
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