OpenAI CEO hints at new image-generation tools following viral success of Studio Ghibli-style art trend that overwhelmed servers and broke user records.
April 2, 2025: The viral Studio Ghibli-style image generation trend on ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm, with users across the world transforming their photos into whimsical, hand-drawn AI art inspired by the legendary Japanese animation studio. The unprecedented demand for the tool led to a record-breaking surge in traffic for OpenAI, straining servers and causing temporary access limitations.
Also Read: Amitabh Bachchan Joins Ghibli-Style AI Trend, Shares Whimsical Edits from Fan Meet
In the wake of this craze, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has teased the next evolution of the platform’s visual capabilities. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Altman wrote, “Y’all are not ready for images v2…”, hinting that a more advanced version of the image-generation tool is on the horizon.
The buzz around the feature—known for mimicking the distinct art style of Studio Ghibli’s iconic films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro—has pushed ChatGPT’s weekly active users past 150 million, the highest so far in 2025. According to Similarweb, the app saw a record one million users join in a single hour, reminiscent of its early viral days.
Also Read: How to Create Studio Ghibli-Inspired Images for Free Without ChatGPT
SensorTower data further revealed an 11% rise in downloads, 5% increase in weekly active users, and a 6% boost in in-app revenue, all thanks to the AI art boom.
However, the surge has also brought infrastructure challenges. Altman acknowledged that OpenAI is “getting things under control” but warned of delays in new feature rollouts and occasional service slowdowns.
Ghibli Magic Meets Legal Headwinds
While fans worldwide are loving the AI-generated Ghibli-style content, legal experts are raising red flags. The tool’s uncanny ability to replicate the visual essence of director Hayao Miyazaki’s works has sparked debates over copyright implications.
“Copyright law generally protects specific expressions, not artistic styles themselves,” said Evan Brown, a partner at law firm Neal & McDevitt. Still, the gray area around AI mimicking distinctive visual identities remains a subject of growing scrutiny.
Adding fuel to the conversation, comments by Miyazaki from 2016 resurfaced, where he had dismissed AI-generated art as “utterly disgusting.” He went on to say, “I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.”
What’s Next?
Despite the controversy, OpenAI is pressing forward. The upcoming Images V2 is expected to feature enhanced rendering quality, better context sensitivity, and possibly new artistic styles—though details remain under wraps.
As the AI art space evolves, the question now is not just how creative AI can become—but how the world will adapt to this new era of machine-generated imagination.
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