Artificial intelligence risks taking Japanese anime artists' jobs but nothing can replicate Hayao Miyazaki, the creative lifeblood of the studio behind classics such as "Spirited Away," says his son.

Thanks to ChatGPT's new image generator, the internet is awash with pictures imitating Studio Ghibli's whimsical style, raising fresh debate over potential copyright infringements. Movies such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Howl's Moving Castle" are famous for their lush nature and fantastical machinery, painstakingly drawn by hand. While the studio has not commented directly on the image trend, Goro Miyazaki, 58, predicts that artificial intelligence could one day replace animators.

"It wouldn't be surprising if, in two years' time, there was a film made completely through AI," he says in an interview.