AI can now imitate the style of Studio Ghibli. Is this the end of copyright?

GenAI models are evolving into sophisticated ‘style engines’. It’s not just Ghibli: AI can lift other styles too. ‘Ghiblification’ is fuelling the debate about a creator’s right to defend their work. Copyright law protects expression, not ideas, it doesn’t extend to styles – whether ‘expressionism’, ‘dada’ or ‘disco’. This loophole allows for inspiration and artistic freedom. But when a style is as distinctive as Ghibli’s, it gets more complicated, because replicating it could threaten their income and artistic legacy.