OpenAI Limits Image Generator After Viral Studio Ghibli-Style Creations Overload GPUs

OpenAI temporarily restricted access to its new AI image generator after an overwhelming number of users prompted it to create Studio Ghibli-style images, causing excessive GPU strain. CEO Sam Altman joked on X that the company’s GPUs were “melting” due to demand.

ChatGPT’s Powerful Image Generation OpenAI recently introduced photorealistic image generation to ChatGPT’s paid tiers, with an impressive ability to mimic different art styles. Users quickly flooded social media with Ghibli-inspired versions of family photos, classic memes, and even a real image of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Altman himself changed his profile picture to a Ghibli-style AI image.

Compared to competitors like Google Gemini, TechCrunch reported that ChatGPT’s Ghibli recreations were the most accurate to the animation studio’s signature style.

Copyright and Ethical Concerns OpenAI claims it does not allow its AI to replicate the style of individual living artists but does permit imitation of broader studio styles. However, Studio Ghibli’s aesthetic is largely shaped by its founder, Hayao Miyazaki, who has been openly critical of AI in art. In 2016, he called AI-generated animation “an insult to life itself.”

Legal Battle Over AI Training Data OpenAI is already under legal scrutiny for copyright infringement. A federal judge recently ruled that a lawsuit filed by The New York Times and other publishers against OpenAI and its backer, Microsoft, can proceed, alleging that they illegally scraped copyrighted content to train AI models.

As AI-generated art blurs ethical and legal boundaries, OpenAI’s Studio Ghibli-style viral moment has only intensified debates around copyright, creativity, and AI ethics.