"One Million Users In The Last Hour": Sam Altman Reacts To ChatGPT’s Ghibli Art Craze

Over the past few years, ChatGPT has gained immense popularity among users worldwide. However, its popularity skyrocketed to unprecedented levels after the introduction of a new image-generating feature, which sparked a viral wave of AI-generated artwork inspired by Studio Ghibli. Following this, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that ChatGPT added "one million users in the last hour."

In his post, Altman further stated, "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."

What Is Ghibli Art?

Studio Ghibli, founded by legendary animators Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, is known for its whimsical characters and storybook-like visuals. Their distinct hand-drawn animation, soft colour palettes, and dreamlike worlds have influenced generations of animators and artists.

The distinct art form has mesmerized audiences for decades with films like Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle.

Who Made The Ghibli Trend Viral?

Although AI-generated Ghibli-style images existed before, Seattle-based software engineer Grant Slatton played a crucial role in bringing the trend into the mainstream.

Shortly after OpenAI introduced its upgraded image-generation tools, Slatton shared an AI-generated Ghibli-style photo of his family and dog at the beach on X with caption reading, "Tremendous alpha right now in sending your wife photos of y'all converted to Studio Ghibli anime."

His tweet quickly gained traction, amassing 44,000 likes and over 46 million views. It also triggered a wave of similar posts, as users across social media rushed to transform their own photos into Ghibli-inspired creations.

Sam Altman Pleads Users To Slow Down

The Ghibli-style image trend gained such momentum that Altman himself had to intervene, urging users to slow down as the surge in demand was overwhelming OpenAI's servers and exhausting his team.

"Can y'all please chill on generating images? This is insane, our team needs sleep," Altman wrote in a post on X.

The Original Ghibli Master Responds

While the AI-generated Ghibli art trend has captivated the internet, it has also drawn criticism from the original Studio Ghibli artists.

Miyazaki, the celebrated filmmaker whose films Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003 and 2024, respectively, has been a vocal critic of AI-generated art. A resurfaced video from a Studio Ghibli presentation shows Miyazaki expressing his vehement disapproval of AI-generated animation, calling it an "insult to life".

During the presentation, Miyazaki appeared visibly disturbed and ultimately voiced his strong opposition. "Whoever created this stuff has no idea what pain is whatsoever," he said about the AI-generated animation displayed before him. "I am utterly disgusted. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all."

The trend has also strongly ignited the debate on AI-generated art, with supporters praising its creative potential while traditional artists argue for the preservation of hand-drawn artistry.