As Studio Ghibli-style portraits overwhelm social media feeds, Indian authorities are ringing the alarm over the other side of the AI-generated fever dream that is on our feed at present. Police departments in Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Chandigarh have issued public advisories warning users against a wave of cyber scams that exploit the popularity of Ghibli-themed artificial intelligence applications.

The caution comes in the wake of OpenAI’s recent release of the GPT-4o model, capable of generating Ghibli-style images. Within days, users across India started uploading their photos to apps promising dreamy, anime-style transformations unwittingly trading privacy for aesthetic appeal.

“Joining the AI-generated Ghibli trend is fun, but not all AI apps protect your privacy,” Goa Police warned in a post on X. “Always think before uploading personal photos and use only trusted AI apps.”

Cybercrime division warn that they harvest sensitive information—from facial features to access to a person's location and can perform silent runs in the background, gathering contact lists, microphone recordings and more.

The Tamil Nadu Police cyber division described more sophisticated threats. “Many websites offering free Ghibli art downloads are often fronts for malicious activities,” said a senior official, noting users risk infecting their devices with spyware, ransomware, or viruses. Few platforms even store biometric data indefinitely, raising red flags about digital identity theft.

Tamil Nadu’s advisory highlighted the risk of phishing campaigns disguised as Ghibli-themed contests and giveaways. Clicking on suspicious links could expose users to theft of financial data or unauthorised access to their devices. “The Ghibli AI art generators use selfies to train AI systems without clear user consent,” the note added. “Images may be stored permanently and repurposed to create deepfakes or synthetic media.”

Chandigarh Police Cyber Cell additionally cautioned about the increase in fake online shops that sell exclusive Ghibli merch and artwork. Victims are promised good deals, but they might end up getting fake products or worse, identity theft.