These days, on Instagram and social media, many people are turning their normal photos into cute anime-style pictures using something called the Ghibli filter. This is part of a new AI trend where you can make yourself and maybe your partner look like Studio Ghibli characters.
I think this is how it has to be because if you look then you will find this here — people are using these pictures to soft launch their relationships. That means they’re showing just a little hint of someone special without telling the whole story.
But suddenly, there’s a big fear going around online. Someone posted saying these anime pictures are not so safe after all. It says your real photo behind the filter can actually be seen again
Delete Your Ghibli Pics!” – Viral Warning by X User @Altea
A post by X (formerly Twitter) user @Altea went viral. It said:
“Delete your Ghibli filter pics ASAP. Someone reverse-engineered the viral Ghibli filter and discovered you can extract the ORIGINAL photos. The ones you thought were safe behind those cute anime faces…”
Now this really shocked a lot of people. Especially those who used the filter to soft-launch their partner — like just posting a Ghibli-style face, not the real one.
Look, we have to take care of that one because anything online can travel fast and fall into the wrong hands.
But Is It Even Real? Experts Doubt It
Not everyone believes this story. Some say it’s not even possible.
X user @_katmcdonnell responded to the viral post saying:
“AI haters will believe it without researching any of it and use it in their arguments till the wheels fall off—not knowing this is the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever said from a coding aspect.”
Personally, I think that makes sense. If you look at it technically, the AI just creates a new cartoon image. It doesn’t keep or hide the real photo inside the cartoon. The real image is used once as a base, but it’s not stored in the filter result.
I always believe that it has to be done — we should look into things before blindly believing every viral post.
So Why Are Privacy Experts Still Worried?
Okay, so maybe your real photo isn’t sitting inside the anime image. But privacy problems still exist.
When you use filters like Ghibli AI, you have to upload your photo. And once it’s uploaded, the company behind the app can store it, use it, or even train their AI models with it.
Look, we have to take care of that one because these platforms may not delete your photos or may use them for other purposes.
Privacy expert Luiza Jarovsky warned people about this on X. She said:
🚨 Most people haven't realized that the Ghibli Effect is not only an AI copyright controversy but also OpenAI's PR trick to get access to thousands of new personal images; here's how:
— Luiza Jarovsky (@LuizaJarovsky) March 29, 2025
To get their own Ghibli (or Sesame Street) version, thousands of people are now voluntarily… pic.twitter.com/zBktscNOSh
“This allows OpenAI to legally use these images without the ‘legitimate interest’ balancing test required by GDPR regulations.”
Basically, it means they don’t need to ask much before using your pictures — because they’ve already got permission through long, confusing terms and conditions.
Likewise just think if this is how it is then what to do now?
So What Should We Do Now?
Don’t panic — just be careful.
If you’re using AI filters for fun, that’s totally fine. But don’t share anything you wouldn’t want leaked.
We have to do it and I am always excited for that — learning how to stay safe while still enjoying cool tech.