New Delhi:
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has called for a pause as social media is overrun with AI-generated Studio Ghibli-style images.
For decades, Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn animation has captivated audiences with its dreamy, nostalgic worlds. Now, thanks to OpenAI’s latest image generation tool in ChatGPT, that signature aesthetic is everywhere – on profile pictures, memes, and even reimagined movie posters.
As the trend exploded, Sam Altman posted on X, asking users to “please chill on generating images,” calling the demand “insane” and saying that the “team needs sleep.”
can yall please chill on generating images this is insane our team needs sleep
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 30, 2025
When a user jokingly suggested firing the team behind the feature, Mr Altman defended them, saying, “No thanks. In addition to building AGI, this team is on trajectory to build the biggest website in the world from a cold start 2.33 years ago. Best team in the world.”
“It’s just hard,” he added.
no thanks
in addition to building agi this team is on trajectory to build the biggest website in the world from a cold start 2.33 years ago
best team in the world, it’s just hard
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 30, 2025
To manage the surge, OpenAI has introduced restrictions on image generation. Paid subscribers, including ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, and Select users, still have access, but free-tier users – who previously had unlimited generations – will now be capped at three images per day.
When another user asked about updated timelines for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Sam Altman responded, “it will come sooner if you stop using our gpus to make images.”
it will come sooner if you stop using our gpus to make images…
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 30, 2025
On Thursday, Mr Altman announced temporary rate limits, explaining that the company’s GPUs (graphics processing units) were “melting” under the pressure. He assured users that the team was working on making the tool more efficient, saying, “Hopefully won’t be long.”
Despite the growing excitement, the rollout has had its challenges. OpenAI had to delay free user access and fix a bug that caused inconsistent image generation.
The company describes GPT-4o as its “most advanced image generator yet,” offering improved accuracy, better text rendering, and more precise object relationships. Unlike DALL-E, which generates images in a single pass, GPT-4o constructs them step by step for enhanced realism.
A day before announcing the restrictions, Mr Altman joked about the irony of his journey – spending years developing superintelligence, only to wake up to hundreds of messages showcasing AI-generated, Ghibli-style versions of himself.
Embracing the trend, he even updated his profile picture to an AI-crafted Ghibli-style portrait.