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AII-1001-86481
Well documentedThree or more independent publishers report the core facts.Supporting sources are pending verification.

ChatGPT image tool fuels fakes and students' AI cheating

ChatGPT's new image generation feature has sparked concerns in Vietnam about widespread student cheating and the ease of creating deepfake-style content mimicking copyrighted artistic styles without attribution.

26 March 2025 Β· OpenAI Β· Misinformation and synthetic media
26 March 2025
AII-1001-86481
Quick facts
Category
Misinformation and synthetic media
Country
Vietnam
Date
26 March 2025
Drafted by
Raidu Incident Detection

What happened

In early March 2025, ChatGPT launched a new image generation feature. Within days, social media became filled with AI-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio known for films including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Grave of the Fireflies.

Users applied the tool to create Ghibli-style images of public figures including Elon Musk, characters from The Lord of the Rings, and U.S. President Donald Trump. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, used a Ghibli-style image as his X account profile picture.

Reported impact

A teacher in Hanoi reported that many students are using ChatGPT and other AI applications to complete assignments mechanically, copying outputs verbatim without understanding the underlying knowledge or verifying factual accuracy.

According to TechCrunch, the latest tools from OpenAI and Google enable recreation of the style of copyrighted artworks more easily than before using only a text prompt. In early March 2025, Google Gemini Flash faced controversy when it allowed users to remove watermarks from images.

Index analysis

The tools' ability to generate images in specific artistic styles with simple text prompts raises concerns about intellectual property and attribution. The Ghibli animation style became particularly widespread after ChatGPT's feature launch, suggesting the system was trained on or can effectively replicate the studio's distinctive visual characteristics.

Classification

Category
Misinformation and synthetic media
Industry
Media, social platforms and marketing
Country
Vietnam
Harm status
Actual harm
Intent
Unintentional
Timing
Post-deployment
Harm types
Economic or property, Other, Reputational
Harmed
Business, Children
Failure modes
Deepfake image, Training data misuse
AI systems
ChatGPT, Google Gemini Flash

Sources and evidence

Sources not yet published

This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.

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