SEOUL: If you have been on social media recently, chances are you have come across Studio Ghibli-style images created by ChatGPT.
The global trend of AI-generated images has also taken off in South Korea, with many users experimenting with Ghibli-style visuals. This surge in interest is reflected in ChatGPT’s user numbers here.
According to industry tracker IGAWorks, the AI chatbot recorded a record 1,252,925 daily active users in South Korea on Thursday (April 3), a sharp increase from 799,571 on March 1.
The platform first crossed the one million users mark on March 10, reaching 1,033,733 users.
Technology industry experts attribute the surge to the launch of ChatGPT’s new image generation model, ChatGPT-4o Image Generation, on March 25.
The feature has fuelled a global trend of users creating AI-powered images in various animation styles and sharing them across social media.
Among these, the most popular aesthetic appears to be that of Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio behind classics such as “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Spirited Away.” Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined the trend, changing his profile picture on X to a Ghibli-style image of himself.
Searching for "Ghibli-style" in Korean on Instagram reveals a flood of AI-generated artwork on Tuesday, reflecting the trend’s strong presence in South Korea.
However, as the technology’s use expands, concerns over copyright infringement and the potential for generating harmful content continue to grow. - The Korea Herald/ANN
