The latest AI image craze has taken a toll on OpenAI’s servers. CEO Sam Altman has announced temporary rate limits on ChatGPT’s image generation, citing overwhelming demand after a viral trend saw users turning almost everything into Ghibli-style artwork.
Altman, who joined in on the fun, shared an AI-generated Studio Ghibli-style portrait of himself on March 25. But just two days later, he admitted OpenAI’s infrastructure was struggling.
“It’s super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, but our GPUs are melting,” he tweeted. “We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient.”
He also acknowledged that some image requests were being wrongly rejected, adding, “We are fixing these as fast as we can.”
OpenAI rolled out its upgraded image generation in ChatGPT-4o on March 25, fueling an explosion of AI-generated images in the distinct hand-drawn style of Studio Ghibli—famous for films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro.
The trend took over social media in no time, with people turning everything—profile pictures, famous characters, and more—into Ghibli-style art. Even Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk joined the fun, posting an AI-generated image of King Mufasa from The Lion King lifting a Shiba Inu.
Meanwhile, White House AI and crypto advisor David Sacks posted an AI-generated Ghibli-style image of himself at an event.
With the surge in demand, OpenAI is now limiting free-tier users to three image generations per day. While Altman didn’t specify how long the restrictions would last, he assured users it wouldn’t be for too long.
According to OpenAI, rate limits help manage server load and prevent performance issues. “If requests to the API increase dramatically, it could tax the servers and cause performance issues. By setting rate limits, OpenAI can help maintain a smooth and consistent experience for all users,” the company explains.
So, while the AI-generated Ghibli tsunami might be slowing down (at least temporarily), the hype around AI art isn’t going anywhere.
Also Read: Ghibli Open AI Art Goes Viral, Sam Altman Says Free Version Has to Wait
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