After success of Studio Ghibli photos, Sam Altman teases version 2
ByHT News Desk
Apr 02, 2025 09:51 AM IST
The viral trend saw users from across the globe flood social media with images based on hand-drawn style of the famed Japanese animation outfit, Studio Ghibli.
The frenzy to create Ghibli-style AI art using ChatGPT's image-generation tool led to a record surge in users for OpenAI's chatbot last week, straining its servers and temporarily limiting the feature's usage.
The frenzy to use the new Studio Ghibli image-generation tool led to a record surge in users for ChatGPT.(ChatGPT)
The frenzy to use the new Studio Ghibli image-generation tool led to a record surge in users for ChatGPT.(ChatGPT)
This week saw everybody on the internet, from influencers to politicians, flock to ChatGPT to convert their photos into Studio Ghibli-style art. The frenzy to use the new image-generation tool led to a record surge in users for OpenAI's chatbot. OpenAI CEO has now teased users with a version 2 of the feature, something that he feels people are not ready for.
"Y’all are not ready for images v2..." Altman posted on X (formerly Twitter), hinting at even more advanced features after a week of overwhelming demand.
Users worldwide have been using ChatGPT to generate art in the hand-drawn, whimsical style that has defined Studio Ghibli's iconic films like 'Spirited Away' and 'My Neighbor Totoro'. The demand proved so overwhelming that it strained OpenAI's servers at one point, temporarily limiting the tool’s accessibility.
The surge saw ChatGPT’s weekly active users surpass 150 million for the first time this year, according to data from market research firm Similarweb.
Altman celebrated the success, highlighting the platform's rapid growth in a post on X: "We added one million users in the last hour," he wrote, comparing it to the initial launch days of ChatGPT, which saw similar rapid user adoption.
What is Studio Ghibli?
Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli is a highly regarded Japanese animation studio, known for its hand-drawn animation, intricate backgrounds, and emotionally resonant storytelling.
The name "Ghibli" comes from a Libyan Arabic word referring to a hot desert wind. The studio has produced 22 feature-length films so far.
OpenAI celebrates success
OpenAI’s ability to scale its infrastructure was tested as global app downloads, in-app subscriptions, and usage numbers soared.
SensorTower data confirmed an 11% increase in downloads and a 5% rise in weekly active users compared to the previous week, while in-app purchase revenue grew by 6%. Despite these successes, the surge in traffic resulted in glitches and intermittent outages, frustrating some users.
"We are getting things under control, but you should expect new releases from OpenAI to be delayed, stuff to break, and for service to sometimes be slow as we deal with capacity challenges," Altman noted on Tuesday.
Questions over privacy
While the image-generation tool’s success has garnered attention for its innovation, it has also sparked legal questions, particularly regarding copyright.
The tool's ability to mimic the distinctive style of Studio Ghibli has raised concerns over potential copyright violations, especially since the AI-generated images bear a striking resemblance to the work of renowned director Hayao Miyazaki.
Evan Brown, a partner at law firm Neal & McDevitt, addressed the issue: "The legal landscape of AI-generated images mimicking Studio Ghibli's distinctive style is an uncertain terrain. Copyright law has generally protected only specific expressions rather than artistic styles themselves."
Meanwhile, comments from Miyazaki in 2016, condemning AI-generated artwork, resurfaced following the viral trend. "I am utterly disgusted," the Studio Ghibli co-founder had said when shown an early render of AI-generated images. "I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all."
Sam Altman
Openai
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