Can Ethical AI Exist? Here’s Who’s Doing It Right

OpenAI vs. Ghibli—Where do we draw the line?

Author

Shira Lazar
March 30, 2025

The recent clash between OpenAI and Studio Ghibli reignited one of the most pressing questions around AI: Can it ever be ethical—especially when it comes to copyright and creative ownership?

Suddenly, the cherished characters and iconic styles of Studio Ghibli, a brand and creative legacy built over decades, were replicated with the click of a button and the right prompt. To no one's surprise, this sparked outrage worldwide, especially when Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli's founder, openly criticized AI-generated art, calling it "soulless and a disrespectful shortcut."

This whole mess made me think a bit more about how we, as creatives, can actually use this technology ethically without stopping it in its tracks. The laws around AI are still a bit skewed and not quite where they should be.

So, how can we all do our part? Here's a good place to start.

5 Ways You Can Use AI Ethically:

  1. Train AI on Your Own Work:
    Use your past content, writing, art, or voice to train AI tools. This keeps the creative control in your hands and ensures you're building on a foundation that's 100% yours.

  2. Always Credit and Ask Permission:
    If someone else’s work inspires you, give credit and ask for permission. Respecting creators is non-negotiable.

  3. Use Licensed or Public Domain Content Only:
    Avoid feeding AI tools with copyrighted material that hasn’t been cleared for use. If it’s not yours or not clearly licensed, don’t use it.

  4. Support Transparency and Fair Pay:
    Choose AI platforms that disclose their data sources and compensate artists whose work influences their models.

  5. Stay Informed and Speak Up:
    This space is evolving quickly. Follow the conversations, ask questions, and use your platform to advocate for ethical innovation.

Companies Doing Ethical AI Right:

  • Adobe (Adobe Firefly): They're setting the standard by using only licensed or public domain content for AI training and paying creators fairly.

  • Vermillio (Learn more): Under CEO Dan Neely, this company protects artists' likenesses from unauthorized AI-generated content, giving control back to creators.

  • Klay Vision (Read more): Working with Universal Music Group, they're developing AI to enhance music creation ethically, rather than replace or exploit artists.

  • Splice (CEO Interview): CEO Kakul Srivastava firmly believes AI should boost human creativity, not replace it.

  • Anthropic (Full story): They're shaping legal conversations about copyright and AI, advocating clear, fair practices.

  • ProRata.ai (More info): Founded by Bill Gross, this company ensures creators are fairly compensated for AI-generated content based on their original work.

  • Asteria (More info): Asteria is an artist-led generative AI studio creating films and animations powered by a clean, ethical AI model.

  • Lore-Machine (More info): Lore Machine is an AI platform that transforms written stories into visual formats like storyboards and comics using generative AI.

If there are any I missed or you want to recommend, let me know!

🔥My Hot Take: We’re all figuring out this AI journey in real time. Mistakes? They’ll happen. But what matters most is how we respond—and what we choose to build from here.

AI isn’t going away. Trying to block its use out of fear won’t stop progress—it just sidelines the voices that could help shape it responsibly.

So let’s pause, be intentional, and make sure we’re using these powerful tools to elevate artists—not erase them.

Shira Lazar

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