Hayao Miyazaki unfazed by generative AI—doesn’t even know what it is, says Studio Ghibli chairman
Hayao Miyazaki reportedly has no clue what generative AI is — even as Spirited Away readies a special return to cinemas.
Asked in Japan ’s Asahi Shimbun how closely Hayao Miyazaki has followed the surge of Ghibli‑style AI imagery online, Studio Ghibli chairman and producer Toshio Suzuki said the director simply isn’t plugged in — by choice. Suzuki explained that since finishing The Boy and the Heron, Miyazaki has walled himself off from outside noise to protect his focus in the studio.
“Miya-san doesn't even know about generative AI.”
Suzuki added that Ghibli’s identity is built on human hands making artistic decisions, not on replicable looks or tools.
“A cultural institution that demonstrates what it means for humans to create art,” he said of where the studio aims to stand, noting that Miyazaki’s expression can’t be replicated by AI or CGI.
The stance lands amid waves of AI images mimicking Studio Ghibli’s aesthetic — a trend that drew backlash from fans and artists who pointed to the painstaking labor behind Ghibli animation. Miyazaki’s skepticism of computers in animation isn’t new: in a 2016 documentary segment about an experimental CGI project, he criticized what he saw as “an insult to life itself.” That footage predates today’s generative AI boom and wasn’t a response to modern image generators.
‘Spirited Away’ on stage
While the AI debate rages outside his bubble, Miyazaki’s most celebrated film is heading back to U.S. theaters in a very different form. GKIDS and Fathom Events will bring Spirited Away: Live On Stage — a filmed version of the 2022 production at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre — to cinemas nationwide for two nights this fall, complete with elaborate sets, original musical numbers, and intricate puppetry bringing the bathhouse world to life.
- Dates: October 1 and October 8, 2026 ( two-night nationwide event)
- Source production: Filmed during the show’s 2022 run at Tokyo’s Imperial Theatre
- Presentation: The stage adaptation features large-scale sets, new musical numbers, and puppetry inspired by the film’s spirits and creatures
The engagement marks the 25th anniversary of Spirited Away and leads into Ghibli Fest 2026, which is set to screen the original animated feature in theaters across North America from October 17–21.