Spirited Away? ChatGPT Seems To Be Spotting 'Ghosts' (& Babies) In Ghibli-Style AI Photo Makeovers
A classic case of AI "hallucination," GPT has been imagining things that are not there, from ghosts to even unborn babies in wedding photos.
Ghibli Art On ChatGPT: AI-generated Ghibli-style images have been all the rage lately, turning everyday photos into dreamy, hand-drawn masterpieces. But for some, the whimsical magic of AI art comes with an eerie twist—unexpected extra figures appear in their pictures, leading users to question whether they’ve accidentally hired a ghost photographer.
The Ghibli Ghost Phenomenon
The internet has been flooded with AI-generated images inspired by Studio Ghibli’s signature aesthetic. From cozy landscapes to soft, dreamlike portraits, users have been feeding their photos into tools like ChatGPT’s image generator and Grok AI to see themselves reimagined in the iconic animation style.
However, some users are noticing something unsettling — figures that weren’t in the original photos are mysteriously showing up in their Ghibli edits. Social media users are sharing screenshots of their AI-generated images, pointing out the unexpected (and very much uninvited) guests.
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It should also be noted that some of the above photos were created using Grok AI on X instead of ChatGPT. So, this issue of "making up" objects is not a problem restricted to just GPT, but can affect any generative AI tool.
AI Hallucinations or Something Spookier?
Before you start calling an exorcist, there’s a more logical explanation: AI hallucinations. No, your AI tool hasn’t suddenly become a medium for the paranormal. Instead, it’s likely falling into a well-known pitfall of artificial intelligence — fabricating details that don’t exist.
And it's not always a case of spotting "ghosts". Sometimes, GPT can transform idols into cartoon characters:
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Other times, it can turn Oracle and predict the future babies of newlyweds:
AI models sometimes “hallucinate” by generating inaccurate or misleading information. This happens due to several factors:
- Training Data Bias: AI learns from vast amounts of images and sometimes picks up patterns that don’t make sense in real-world applications. If a dataset has too many crowded group photos, the AI might assume an extra person belongs in your image, too.
- Overfitting: AI can sometimes get too attached to the data it has seen before, adding unnecessary details instead of properly generalising.
- Lack of Common Sense: AI doesn’t “see” images the way humans do. It doesn’t recognise your family members or count the number of people in a photo — it just generates patterns that statistically make sense (even if those patterns involve phantom figures).
Just a Glitch or Future Horror Movie Material?
While AI ghost sightings might be amusing, they also highlight the quirks and limitations of generative models. As AI tools become more advanced, refining their ability to create realistic (and non-haunted) images will be key. Until then, users will have to accept that their Ghibli edits might come with an unexpected guest or two.
So, is this just a harmless AI quirk, or should we start watching our AI-generated art a little more closely? Either way, the internet has spoken — these accidental ghostly additions are hilarious and unsettling.
Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to check our old family photos… just in case AI knows something we don’t.
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