The internet was once flooded with Studio Ghibli-style AI art, as users prompted image generators to recreate beloved characters and scenes in Hayao Miyazaki’s signature aesthetic. While visually striking, the trend sparked backlash over the painstaking labor behind Ghibli animation. Yet amid the viral debate, the filmmaker himself remained remarkably removed from the conversation.

Studio Ghibli chairman and producer Toshio Suzuki has now explained why.

When The Asahi Shimbun asked about Hayao Miyazaki's awareness of the AI debate, Studio Ghibli chairman and producer Toshio Suzuki offered a telling remark.

“Miya-san doesn't even know about generative AI.” This isolation from digital noise is by design, as Miyazaki has deliberately cut himself off from outside information since The Boy and the Heron to protect his creative focus.

Suzuki also argued that Ghibli’s identity rests on human artistic expression. In the interview he said the studio could become.

“A cultural institution that demonstrates what it means for humans to create art,” adding that Miyazaki’s expression cannot be replicated by AI or CGI. His remarks suggest that the studio sees the value of its animation in the decisions made by artists, rather than simply the visual appearance of the finished image.

Miyazaki has also expressed discomfort with computer-generated imagery before. During a 2016 documentary about an experimental animation project, he famously described what he saw as an insult to life itself. The footage predates today’s generative AI boom, so it should not be presented as a direct response to modern image generators.

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That philosophy makes Ghibli’s enduring commitment to Miyazaki’s craft even more striking, especially as one of his most celebrated films prepares to return through an entirely different medium.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award–winning masterpiece, Spirited Away is returning to cinemas in a form never before seen in the United States. GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment have announced that Spirited Away: Live On Stage will be screened nationwide for two exclusive nights on October 1 and October 8, 2026.

Filmed during the production's celebrated 2022 run at Tokyo's historic Imperial Theatre, this theatrical event brings Miyazaki's enchanted bathhouse to life through elaborate sets, original musical numbers, and intricate puppetry that captures the film's whimsical spirit.

Ghibli makes these cozy aesthetics and soaring fantasy that viewers cannot miss, and this stage adaptation proves the story's magic transcends animation alone. This special engagement arrives just ahead of Ghibli Fest 2026, which will screen the original animated feature from October 17 to 21 in theaters across North America.

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What do you think about Hayao Miyazaki being completely removed from the generative AI conversation? Let us know in the comments.