ChatGPT Studio Ghibli Image Generation Now Available To Free Users
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that the image generation feature of ChatGPT is now accessible to free users. This decision follows a tremendous response to the feature, which includes creating AI images, notably inspired by Studio Ghibli art, across social media platforms.
Previously, this AI image generation capability was exclusively reserved for subscribers of the ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team plans. Free users were only able to generate up to three images per day. However, in light of the feature's popularity among premium users, OpenAI has extended it to all free-tier accounts.
Sam Altman shared the news on X, stating, "ChatGPT image generation is now available to all free users." He emphasized his desire for widespread accessibility, mentioning, "We want everyone to use it," particularly addressing concerns about limitations based on user numbers.
The rollout commenced on March 26, and by April 1, all ChatGPT users, irrespective of their subscription status, gained access to this tool. The image generation feature operates on OpenAI's GPT-4o model.
Mr. Altman noted a significant spike in new accounts following the extension of image generation to free-tier users, highlighting the rapid growth in user numbers. He mentioned, "The launch of ChatGPT 26 months ago went viral in an unprecedented manner, with one million users added in just five days. In the past hour alone, we have acquired another one million users."
In response to the escalating demands on OpenAI's infrastructure, Mr. Altman urged users to limit their image generation activities, emphasizing the strain on the company's GPUs. He quipped, "Can y'all please chill on generating images? This is insane, our team needs sleep."
To address these challenges, OpenAI implemented temporary rate limits on image generation to alleviate the pressure on their resources. Mr. Altman elaborated on the situation in another post, describing how the excessive number of requests was causing their GPUs to "melt."
