{"id":29,"date":"2025-04-06T08:44:06","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T12:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.andfriends.ca\/?p=29"},"modified":"2025-04-14T09:53:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T13:53:52","slug":"miyazaki-might-have-a-point-with-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/en\/2025\/04\/06\/miyazaki-might-have-a-point-with-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"Miyazaki might have a point with AI\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last week, OpenAI released their GPT-4.5<\/strong> model. And for some reason, everybody started converting their pictures in the style of Studio Ghibli. I did the same\u2014because I really love Miyazaki\u2019s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I realized I had what I call \u201can excess of enthusiasm.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miyazaki and his studio are against AI. And I understand why\u2014at least based on what I know from their films. I\u2019ve watched the DVDs dozens of times\u2026 in French, English, and Japanese\u2026 with audio commentary and all. I really love the art and craftsmanship that goes into them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, is Miyazaki anti AI or he is for something else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think Miyazaki is, above all, pro-humanity. Sure, AI might \u201chelp humanity\u201d<\/em> (or destroy it, if you\u2019re more into the Terminator<\/em> angle), but he truly believes in his craft. In observation. In slowing down. In humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as someone who works in business and genuinely loves technology, I still think we need to slow down from time to time and ask ourselves if we\u2019re collectively experiencing an excess of enthusiasm.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with \u201cMA\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMa\u201d means emptiness. And if you\u2019ve ever watched one of Miyazaki\u2019s movies, you can feel it. There are moments intentionally left for the audience to reflect, contemplate, imagine, and interpret what is happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Train sequence in spirited away<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to big blockbuster movies\u2014where there\u2019s constant action and everything is explained because it\u2019s part of a \u201cuniverse\u201d and and and\u2026\u2014Miyazaki\u2019s films feel more like a classical music masterpiece, with highs and lows, fast sequences and slow ones, and, importantly, moments of rest. Some \u201cMa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIf you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness, But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension at 80 degrees all the time you just get numb.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

You need to be a good observer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you studied design like I did, you know we talk a lot about empathy and how it helps us understand people and support them. After all, we practice human-centered design<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the eyes of Miyazaki, observation is essential to his work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cTo be a good animator, you have to be a good observer. You have to see how people walk, how they move, how the wind blows, how children behave.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And he really does observe micro details. There\u2019s a full explanation on the DVD about how Chihiro<\/strong> (the main character of Spirited Away<\/em>) puts on her shoes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Remove the socks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Make sure the foot is completely in, since the shoe is a bit tight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Put your second foot in and tap the toe on the floor to adjust the fit.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Lots of micro details that matter to a human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"\/
    Chihiro putting her shoes on\u2026 surrounded by the soot balls.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Flawed but worthy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Most of Studio Ghibli\u2019s films are about growth\u2014whether as a person, a family, a culture, or even a world. It\u2019s always about the journey, in relation to human emotion and the environment. Every character is nuanced. No one is purely good or bad\u2014they all have a history, motivations, and flaws\u2026 but most of them are redeemable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>
    \n

    In one of its films, Princess Mononoke, the so-called \u201cevil\u201d character, Lady Eboshi, wants to kill the Spirit of the Forest. Pretty evil, right.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Lady Eboshi is also the leader of a fortified city, made up mostly of women, and she takes good care of a dozen people with leprosy. Very noble, right.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    \"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    She\u2019s flawed, but also a product of misfortune and war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Back to AI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Where is your \u201cMA\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sure, we need to be productive and move faster \u2014 but too fast, too quick, and too easy all the time will make you numb. Without \u201cMa,\u201d how do you reflect, contemplate, imagine, and interpret what\u2019s happening?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Are you a good observer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To be a good designer \u2014 or just a good person \u2014 you have to be a good observer. Sure, AI is now capable of detecting human emotion and reflecting something back that feels<\/em> like empathy. But is that really what we need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I want my family, my friends, my life partner to be the observers of my life. I want them to notice when things get rough and be there for me. And I want to do the same for them. That kind of presence is far more valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We are flawed worthy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    AI, social media, propaganda, echo chambers\u2026 I don\u2019t think I need to elaborate on that. What I can say is this: in person, people aren\u2019t nearly as evil as we\u2019re led to believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The next generation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Right now, it\u2019s easy for us to take our years of experience and enhance our work with AI. But I\u2019m not sure we\u2019ve really figured out what the long-term impact of AI will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I mean, we\u2019re only just beginning to understand how social media has contributed to anxiety in the next generation. So we really need to think carefully about how a powerful tool like AI can support learning\u2014rather than just \u201cdoing the thinking\u201d for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We also need to think about the bigger picture. <\/strong>I often hear: \u201cAI won\u2019t take your job. Someone using AI will.\u201d <\/em>True, true\u2026 That\u2019s why I use AI. But \u2014 if I get to keep my job, and four other people lose theirs because I\u2019ve become SSSOOOOOOOOO<\/em> efficient\u2026 what happens to them? Do they go back to school?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s not a question of being for or against AI.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But as a society, we need to set some boundaries \u2014 otherwise, business will do it for us. And when that happens, money always wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I don\u2019t have the answers. But we do<\/em> need to have real conversations about ethics and philosophy about AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My Friday afternoon conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Lately, I\u2019ve made it a habit to block out some time in my schedule to write and draw these purple vignettes. Sure, I could use AI for the text or the illustration. But why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s not about being efficient. It\u2019s not about reach. Hell \u2014 when I break 1k, I\u2019m happy. And articles? If 50 of you made it here \u2014 congrats! Leave a comment, like, and share. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I do it because when I do it, I learn my craft.<\/em> I reflect, contemplate, and interpret what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It forces me to observe \u2014 and to ask others for their perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And I\u2019ve come to accept that my texts are flawed\u2026 but worthy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And because I enjoy it. <\/strong>You wouldn\u2019t ask an AI to complete a mandala for you, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What I did\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    I think in the short term, what you can do is ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What do I love about my job that I wouldn\u2019t give to anyone else?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What is long, repetitive, or tedious that I would gladly give to someone else?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Protect your \u201cMa.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last week, OpenAI released their GPT-4.5 model. And for some reason, everybody started converting their pictures in the style of Studio Ghibli. I did the same\u2014because I really love Miyazaki\u2019s work. Then I realized I had what I call \u201can excess of enthusiasm.\u201d Miyazaki and his studio are against AI. And I understand why\u2014at least […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-i"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44,"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29\/revisions\/44"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andfriends.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}