Robin Williams‘ daughter, Zelda Williams, is making headlines for her outspoken criticism of the viral AI trend, which involves recreating images in the style of Studio Ghibli and crafting original videos of celebrities, even ones who passed away decades ago. As OpenAI’s newest image generator gains traction, users have embraced the whimsical, Ghibli-inspired aesthetic, prompting a reaction from those who believe it crosses ethical lines. Ethics also came up when a new AI model took an image of Marilyn Monroe and turned it into a video, featuring words she’s never said and gestures she never performed. Zelda called it signs of a “dark future ahead.”
While social media is taken by AI artwork inspired by Ghibli, Zelda showed great concern over tech piracy. Referencing both environmental impact and the devaluation of creative effort, she reminded followers that even Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki once called AI art an insult to life itself.
Robin Williams’ daughter speaks out on AI’s impact on art
The fact the below example uses a real woman who cannot consent to what is being put in her mouth or done with/to her body should clue you in on the dark future ahead. Absolutely obscene to believe you should get to control Marilyn like an avatar. She remains a human, even gone. https://t.co/tBBQqqlPcL
— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) April 3, 2025
“People are gleefully sharing ‘Studio Ghibli style’ AI memes and photos,” Zelda posted on Instagram, “as though the man himself wouldn’t absolutely despise the technological piracy and negative effects on our environment.”
Zelda has carved her own path as an actress and director, so she did not hold back when discussing the viral Studio Ghibli-style AI memes. Her view trended online as she took to Instagram, criticizing users for glamorizing tech she believes her father and Miyazaki would have disapproved of. Her comments spotlighted the growing unease among creators about AI’s influence on the arts.
Many agreed with her, and envisioned a time when art can be sacrificed at the altar of convenience. Williams argued that tapping machines for art suppresses practice, study, and real human emotion. She compared the work of machines to a “lobotomized stasis,” warning of the likelihood of a time in which a world is reduced to algorithms and imitation.
AI and ethical practices in artistic creation
The backlash comes just days after OpenAI launched its latest image generator, with GPT-4o included. While the company claims to avoid mimicking the styles of existing artists, it does allow for broader studio styles, leaving one to question how limits are determined. The recent boom in Ghibli-style AI art has caused concern over whether or not such tools were trained on copyrighted content without permission.
As artificial intelligence erases the distinction between homage and theft, voices like Zelda’s remind us that creativity counts for nothing without accountability. In an era of digital shortcuts, defending the essence of true creativity has never been more important.