An AI-generated live-action trailer of Studio Ghibli’s 1997 film Princess Mononoke has been slammed by the public, with users commenting that the project doesn’t bode well with Hayao Miyazaki’s stance on the use of AI technologies in filmmaking. The AI-generated trailer was released by Pj Accetturo, a film producer and also the CEO of FilmPort.ai, a video production agency relying heavily on AI.
In a now-deleted X (Twitter) post, he said that he used various tools to match the scene in the trailer, including Magnific.ai for the base characters, Midjourney for the scenes in the movie, as well as Kling to match the character’s mouth movement during the dialogue. The voices in the trailer are taken from the English dub of the trailer, whose main cast included Billy Crudup (Ashitaka), Minnie Driver (Eboshi), and Claire Danes (San).
The AI-generated trailer was also featured in a recent BBC news segment, discussing the implications of AI technology in the filmmaking industry, particularly in Hollywood.
Impact of AI in Entertainment Production
One of the things highlighted in the news segment is Lionsgate, an American entertainment company, signing a deal with AI company Runway to train its AI model based on Lionsgate’s multimedia archive.
It’s worth noting that Runway is the controversial company accused of scraping a huge chunk of YouTube videos, including anime clips from official channels Netflix Anime, Aniplex America, and GKIDS. The company has also been alleged to have scraped from illegal anime streaming sites as well as an Archive.org page hosting ripped Studio Ghibli films.
AI generation hasn’t also stopped Japanese companies to also release anime projects with AI-generated imagery. In January 2023, Netflix and WIT Studio teamed up to create an anime short titled The Dog and The Boy. This short aimed at using generative AI to produce the series’ background scenes.
Why This AI-Generated Video Attracted Criticism
Many of the criticisms in the AI-generated Princess Mononoke trailer stem also how it is the direct opposite of the film’s pro-environment sentiment. A lot of AI tools are also contributing to the growing carbon footprint among tech companies, experts note.
Accenturo said that the trailer was a “fan work” and that he was merely expressing his love for filmmaking. Nonetheless, the public’s reception was critical, ranging from commenting on the video’s “lack of life” to arguments about how AI generation isn’t equal to any creative work out there, including filmmaking.
AI use in anime, manga, manhwa, and other types of art forms has long been a source of controversy for the online community. In October 2022, following the death of manhwa illustrator Kim Jung Gi, an online user named 5you fed Jung Gi’s work into an AI model and showed off the results as an “homage” to the late artist. It was heavily criticized by comic artists and illustrators.
Miyazaki Disproves Use of AI in Filmmaking
Hayao Miyazaki’s disapproval of AI was shown in a 2016 NHK documentary titled Hayao Miyazaki — The One Who Never Ends. In the documentary, a representative from Japanese entertainment company Dwango is presenting to Ghibli executives an AI model trained to do movements on 3D models.
After Miyazaki commented about how a disabled friend finds it hard to even high-five him, he said, “Now, thinking of this, I can’t watch this stuff and find [it] interesting. Whoever created this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever. I am utterly disgusted.” He added in the latter part of the segment, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
Artificial intelligence in itself is a wonderful thing. It has helped a lot of big enterprises simplify operations and drive efficiency. But when we talk about AI integration in creative work, it’s a different thing. As art in itself is driven by passion, raw human emotion, and even a creative’s vulnerable state, arguing that an AI-generated creative work is on par with human-created work is paradoxical. In the end, the human touch will always win over a soulless framework, no matter the intention, which is something that the public especially highlighted by criticizing this trailer.
Featured Image: Princess Mononoke (© 1997 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, ND)