The internet is buzzing with a fresh wave of AI-generated artwork, as users flood OpenAI’s ChatGPT to create Studio Ghibli-style images. What started as a niche experiment has exploded into a global trend, with AI-generated illustrations capturing the whimsy of classics like ‘Spirited Away’ and ‘My Neighbor Totoro’. As excitement builds, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has thrown fuel on the fire.

Altman teased an even bigger update. “Y’all are not ready for images v2…”, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, hinting that a new version of OpenAI’s image generator could be on the horizon.

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y’all are not ready for images v2…

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— Sam Altman (@sama) April 1, 2025

But there’s a catch. Only hours before, Sam Altman had also warned that future OpenAI releases could be delayed. The sudden surge in image requests generated by AI has placed its infrastructure under tremendous pressure, resulting in slowdowns, brief feature pauses, and an immediate plea for additional computing capability.

GPU crisis: “Our GPUs are melting”

OpenAI’s latest advancements in image generation, powered by its GPT-4o model, have ignited a creative explosion. The company recently opened up its image-generation tool to all users, not just paid subscribers, which only amplified the trend. The result? A massive surge in usage that has put OpenAI’s servers to the test.

“We are bringing things under control, but you can expect OpenAI new releases to be late, things to break, and for service to occasionally be slow as we grapple with capacity issues,” Altman conceded.

The OpenAI founder even issued a direct appeal for additional computing muscle, indicating just how swamped the company is: “If anyone has GPU capacity in 100k blocks we can procure ASAP, please call!”

The activity surge has been eye-popping. Altman disclosed that ChatGPT’s active user base reached over 150 million this year—a record high. The site at one time gained a million users in an hour.

Ghibli-style AI art goes viral

Social media is filled with AI-created Ghibli-style renditions of anything. Ghibli films’ ethereal, hand-drawn look has been the ideal match for AI-facilitated creativity, and people can’t have enough of it.

According to analytics tool SensorTower the viral trend has resulted in a 11% growth in global app downloads for ChatGPT and a 5% rise in weekly active users, the sudden popularity has introduced performance problems, with numerous users reporting delays and short-term shutdowns of the image-generation function.

What’s next?

Despite the pains of growing, OpenAI is forging ahead. Altman’s mysterious tweet regarding “images v2” indicates that an even more capable image-generation model is in the works. If the trend is any indication, the next update might ignite an even larger AI art revolution.

For the time being, OpenAI is competing to stabilize its systems. The firm is struggling with GPU shortages, infrastructure issues, and a ravenous appetite for AI-generated content. Whether the next image-generation tool comes sooner or later, one thing is certain—AI-driven creativity is just getting started.

Also Read: Free AI image generator: ChatGPT vs Google Gemini – Which creates better Ghibli-style art?