Users Report 'Ghostly Additions' In Ghibli-Style Edits
Many people have recently shared instances where their AI-generated Ghibli edits show mysterious figures that were never in the original pictures.
The Ghibli trend has taken social media by storm, with people worldwide using OpenAI’s latest image-generation update on ChatGPT to transform their photos into stunning Studio Ghibli-style illustrations. However, the trend has taken an eerie twist. Many users have noticed mysterious figures appearing in their AI-generated images—figures that were not in the original photos. This strange occurrence has sparked curiosity, with some wondering if it’s just a glitch or something more mysterious.
One viral Instagram video shows a group of eight women posing for a picture. But when the image was processed in the Ghibli style, a ninth figure appeared. The unusual edit left viewers baffled, with the post’s caption humorously referring to ChatGPT as a “ghost detector."
related stories
View this post on Instagram
Another Instagram user shared a similarly unsettling experience. She uploaded a picture of herself with three friends but when the Ghibli-inspired image was created, a fifth person appeared in the frame.
View this post on Instagram
Makeup artist Barkha Dahra had an even creepier encounter. She used AI to transform a dreamy picture of herself and her husband, possibly from one of their wedding functions, into a Ghibli-style artwork. When she received the final image, she was shocked to find a third person standing beside them.
View this post on Instagram
A travel vlogger, Shishir Deshmukh, also shared a similar experience. In a video, he displayed the original image of himself standing in front of his car. The overlay text on the video read, “I asked ChatGPT to create Ghibli art and I was shocked with the result." But when the Ghibli version came through, he wasn’t alone anymore. “Did ChatGPT spot something which I did not?" he added.
View this post on Instagram
The strange occurrences have sparked mixed reactions on social media.
One person commented, “That’s scary," while another added, “Yep, it’s true! Happened to me too."
Someone even joked, “So Ghibli is a ghost hunter."
A person remarked, “AI has its mind."
Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently announced that the image-generation feature, which was previously only available to premium users, is now accessible to all free users as well. “Chatgpt image gen now rolled out to all free users," Sam Altman said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
chatgpt image gen now rolled out to all free users!— Sam Altman (@sama) April 1, 2025
For those who aren’t familiar, Studio Ghibli is a renowned Japanese animation studio famous for its hand-drawn animations, stunning backgrounds, and emotional storytelling. It was founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki.
- Location :
- First Published: