Toshio Suzuki told Asahi Shimbun he started using AI out of curiosity and that it recognized him immediately. He also said Hayao Miyazaki has no idea generative AI exists.
Toshio Suzuki runs Studio Ghibli.
He also uses AI.
The Ghibli chairman told Asahi Shimbun he started experimenting with it out of curiosity, and that the AI identified him within a few exchanges because so much of his past work and public commentary sits online.
What did Suzuki ask the AI?
He asked it about Ghibli’s place in an AI world.
The answer he got back, which he repeated in the interview, was that Ghibli would evolve into a cultural entity demonstrating what it means for humans to create art.
Suzuki called that ironic, coming from the technology in question.
Does Hayao Miyazaki know what generative AI is?
No, and Suzuki explained why.
Miyazaki cut himself off from outside information while making “The Boy and the Heron,” the film that won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
He stopped using his smartphone. He stopped reading newspapers and watching television. He stopped socializing.
Suzuki observed that AI works by gathering information, and that Miyazaki’s method is the exact opposite of that.
Why did Studio Ghibli stay silent about the AI image trend?
Because Suzuki decided it would burn out on its own.
When OpenAI’s image generation tool sent “Ghibli-style” AI pictures across the internet in 2025, the studio was flooded with interview requests. Suzuki turned down every one.
He expected people would get bored. They did.
Other rights holders responded to the same wave with public outrage and threats of legal action. Ghibli said nothing, and Suzuki considers that the right call.
Can AI copy Studio Ghibli?
Asked directly, Suzuki said no.
He allowed that AI can produce certain types of animation easily enough, then added that anyone with even a little knowledge sees through it immediately.
His assessment was blunt. There is not much point to it, and it is not interesting.
He also said he frankly expected AI could do more artistically than it has managed.
What can AI not do?
In “The Boy and the Heron,” a human face emerges from inside the heron’s mouth. Suzuki said experts have described it as an expression that could never be achieved with computer graphics.
He argued that Miyazaki’s isolation from outside information is precisely what produced something computers cannot replicate.
Will Hayao Miyazaki make another movie?
He wants to. Whether he can is a different question.
Suzuki said Miyazaki has the desire to keep making films, then noted that his body may have other ideas. Miyazaki is 85.
He still generates unusual concepts, including a Panorama Box exhibit Suzuki mentioned in the interview.
“The Boy and the Heron” arrived three years ago and remains his most recent feature.
Where can you see Studio Ghibli movies in theaters?
Studio Ghibli Fest 2026 is running now through Fathom Entertainment and GKIDS.
“Princess Mononoke” returns to select theaters on Sept. 26 for a five-day run. English-subtitled screenings with the original Japanese audio play Sept. 28 and Sept. 29.
Fathom is the same distributor handling Laika’s “Wildwood,” which opens Oct. 23 as that studio’s first film since 2019.
How does this compare to Disney’s approach?
The two studios are moving in opposite directions.
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro told investors in August that a new TikTok agreement will let creators use scenes from Disney films and television, and that Disney will bring TikTok content onto Disney+.
Disney is also increasing its investment in data and technology across marketing, having named its first head of marketing technology and operations.
Ghibli’s position is that its value lies in what technology cannot reproduce. Both studios are betting on their own answer to the same question.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
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Asahi Shimbun, the original interview published Sept. 6
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Anime News Network, the full breakdown including Suzuki’s flat “no” on AI mimicking Ghibli and the Miyazaki isolation details
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Asia Business Daily, Suzuki’s account of using AI himself and the heron’s mouth expression
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Automaton West, the AI response about Ghibli’s cultural role and the fake-spotting quote
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CBR, the Studio Ghibli Fest 2026 screening dates
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VG Times, the contrast with other rights holders’ legal responses
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