one year on
OpenAI launches GPT-4o native image generation in ChatGPT, sparking Ghibli-style frenzy and GPU strain
The new tool's ability to replicate distinctive animation styles drives viral demand, raises copyright questions, and forces temporary rate limits as CEO Sam Altman says 'our GPUs are melting.'
SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI released GPT-4o’s native image generation feature in ChatGPT on Tuesday, setting off a viral wave of users creating images in the style of Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio behind beloved films. Users are already creating Ghibli-style versions of Elon Musk, The Lord of the Rings characters and President Donald Trump. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman updated his own profile picture to a Ghibli-style portrait.
The demand has been so intense that Altman acknowledged the company’s GPUs are ‘melting’ under the load, prompting temporary rate limits. Altman said ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day soon, and he did not specify the new rate limit.
The overnight success has revived familiar copyright tensions. While OpenAI says it refuses to replicate the style of individual living artists, it permits imitation of broader studio styles. Studio Ghibli’s co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is still alive. Intellectual property lawyer Evan Brown noted that style itself lacks copyright protection, placing the tool in a legal gray area. The underlying question of whether training on copyrighted works constitutes fair use remains unresolved in multiple ongoing lawsuits.
The record
Altman posted on X that it's fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, but that OpenAI's GPUs are melting and rate limits are being introduced temporarily for efficiency; free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.
Intellectual property lawyer at Neal & McDevitt said that while style is not explicitly protected by copyright, it's plausible OpenAI achieved likeness by training on copyrighted frames, raising fair use questions.
One year later — open only if you can handle spoilers
The Ghibli trend became one of 2025's defining AI memes, but the underlying copyright debate persists. OpenAI later updated its content policy to block prompts explicitly naming 'Studio Ghibli,' though similar styles remain accessible via indirect descriptions. No major lawsuit emerged solely from this episode, but it strengthened arguments for style-based protections in pending cases.