Sam Altman Urges ChatGPT Users to Slow Down as Ghibli Trend Overloads Servers
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has called on ChatGPT users to slow down their use of the platform’s latest image generator, citing an overwhelming surge in demand for Ghibli-inspired images that has strained the company’s servers. The viral trend, powered by the GPT-4o model, has flooded social media with anime-style visuals, pushing OpenAI’s infrastructure to its limits and prompting temporary restrictions.
The internet has been captivated by ChatGPT’s new ability to transform photos into the iconic style of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio behind films like Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro. Users have reimagined everything from personal portraits to famous pop culture moments, creating a wave of dreamy, hand-drawn-like images.
This unprecedented demand has caused significant server slowdowns at OpenAI, leading Altman to address the issue publicly as his team works around the clock to manage the load.
In a post on X, Altman wrote, “Can yall please chill on generating images this is insane our team needs sleep.” The statement reflects the intense pressure on OpenAI’s staff as they handle the unexpected popularity of the Ghibli feature, which has users generating images at a rapid pace.
Earlier this week, he had warned, “It’s super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT. But our GPUs are melting,” signaling the technical challenges posed by the trend.
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To stabilize services, OpenAI has imposed temporary rate limits on the image generation feature. Altman assured users that the restrictions won’t last long, stating, “We are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. Hopefully won’t be long.”
He also revealed plans to extend the feature to free-tier users, adding, “ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day soon,” ensuring broader access once the system is optimized.
Responding to a user suggesting he fire his team, Altman defended their efforts, saying, “No thanks. In addition to building AGI, this team is on a trajectory to build the biggest website in the world from a cold start 2.33 years ago, the best team in the world. It’s just hard.”
When another user cautioned against reducing the model’s capabilities, Altman replied, “We are going to do the opposite of nerfing it, but, still please chill out a bit,” promising enhancements rather than cuts.
Studio Ghibli, co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, is celebrated for its mesmerizing hand-drawn animation. Known for classics like Howl’s Moving Castle, the studio blends soft, painterly backgrounds with expressive characters, creating a dreamlike quality that has now gone viral through AI.
ChatGPT’s GPT-4o model has tapped into this aesthetic, allowing users to transform ordinary images into Ghibli-esque masterpieces with ease, fueling the online craze.
As OpenAI works to boost server efficiency, the Ghibli trend shows no signs of slowing down. The company aims to lift rate limits soon, ensuring uninterrupted access for its growing user base. Free users, meanwhile, can look forward to limited image generation capabilities in the near future.
The episode highlights the challenges of balancing innovation with infrastructure demands, with updates on OpenAI’s progress expected as the situation evolves.
