In a surprising revelation that’s capturing attention across tech and art communities, a user has claimed that ChatGPT is capable of reversing Ghibli-style AI-generated artwork back into the original photograph it was based on. The claim has raised both curiosity and skepticism about the real potential—and ethical implications—of artificial intelligence in visual creativity.

Studio Ghibli’s signature animation style, known for its whimsical visuals and emotional storytelling, has become a popular filter applied to images using AI-powered tools. These stylizations typically use machine learning to transform real photographs into painterly scenes reminiscent of beloved films like Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro.

However, this new claim suggests that ChatGPT—or more precisely, its integrated image-handling capabilities—can trace back these stylized images to their original forms. The user, who posted a series of examples online, says they uploaded Ghibli-style portraits and received outputs that closely resembled the original photographs.

While ChatGPT itself does not inherently include image-reversal algorithms, it can interact with image-editing models that are trained to deconstruct stylistic transformations. Experts speculate that the feature may rely on a paired dataset or advanced neural networks capable of “style subtraction”—an experimental field in AI research.

AI developers and artists are both intrigued and concerned. On one hand, this ability could have real-world applications in digital restoration and content archiving. On the other, it challenges the integrity of AI-generated art and raises concerns about privacy and authorship, especially when transformations are assumed to be irreversible.

“It’s like peeling away a painting’s brushstrokes to see the canvas underneath,” said one AI researcher. “But the question is—should we?”

While OpenAI has not confirmed such functionality as a standard feature of ChatGPT, the buzz has added to growing discourse around how AI can manipulate, reconstruct, and potentially deconstruct digital content.

For now, the boundaries between artistic transformation and technical restoration remain blurred—and that’s exactly where the world of AI continues to fascinate.