ChatGPT hits one million users in an hour as Ghibli maker free image generation goes live
Following overwhelming success among premium users, OpenAI’s new image generation tool, powered by GPT-4o, is now available to all free-tier ChatGPT users, sparking a wave of creative outputs online.
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OpenAI has officially extended its image generation feature to free-tier ChatGPT users, a move that has rapidly gained attention in the tech community.
The rollout, which began on March 29 and was completed by April 1, was announced by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Altman shared that the feature has already attracted one million new users within just one hour of its release to free accounts. "The ChatGPT launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments I’d ever seen, and we added one million users in five days. We added one million users in the last hour," Altman wrote, reflecting on the fast-growing adoption of the new tool.
Initially, the image generation feature was exclusive to paid subscribers, including those on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team plans.
However, due to its massive popularity and overwhelming demand from premium users, OpenAI has expanded access to all users, regardless of their subscription tier.
Powered by OpenAI's GPT-4o model, the image generation tool enables users to create visually striking images directly within the ChatGPT interface.
The tool is especially praised for its ability to produce Studio Ghibli-style visuals and other captivating forms of art. Social media has been abuzz with users sharing their AI-generated creations, including enchanting anime-inspired images.
In a blog post, OpenAI highlighted the capabilities of the GPT-4o model, stating, "GPT-4o image generation excels at accurately rendering text, precisely following prompts, and leveraging 4o’s inherent knowledge base and chat context—including transforming uploaded images or using them as visual inspiration."
Despite its growing popularity, OpenAI has put in place certain restrictions to manage the tool’s demand. Free-tier users are currently limited to generating three images per day, while paid subscribers enjoy higher image generation limits, allowing for greater creative output.
