San Francisco: The viral craze of generating Studio Ghibli-style AI art using ChatGPT’s latest image-generation tool has led to an unprecedented surge in users for OpenAI’s chatbot, overwhelming its servers and forcing temporary usage limits.
Inspired by the hand-drawn animation style of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli, founded by acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, the trend saw a flood of AI-generated images on social media.
Studio Ghibli is renowned for classics such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, and its distinct aesthetic captivated global users experimenting with OpenAI’s new capabilities.
Record-Breaking Growth
Market research firm Similarweb reported that ChatGPT’s average weekly active users surpassed 150 million for the first time this year. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighted the rapid adoption, stating that, “We added one million users in the last hour,” comparing it to the chatbot’s initial explosive growth of one million users over five days during its 2022 launch.
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.
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2025
Active users, in-app subscription revenue, and app downloads reached an all-time high last week following OpenAI’s GPT-4o update, which enhanced image-generation capabilities.
Global app downloads and weekly active users grew by 11 percent and 5 percent, respectively, while in-app purchase revenue increased by 6 percent.
The skyrocketing demand has strained OpenAI’s infrastructure, causing temporary glitches and service disruptions. The widespread use of AI to mimic Studio Ghibli’s signature style has reignited discussions on copyright implications.
OpenAI has not yet commented on the data used to train its models or the legal concerns surrounding this feature.
As the trend gains momentum, past remarks from Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki have resurfaced. In a 2016 interview, Miyazaki reacted negatively after being shown an early AI-generated render, saying that, “I am utterly disgusted. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.”
