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‘We added one million users in the last hour’: Sam Altman reveals as Ghibli trend breaks the internet

Since the release of his native image generator, which can create Ghibli-style pictures, Sam Altman has been regularly posting about its massive popularity.

Updated on: Apr 1, 2025, 06:30:45 IST
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Social media has exploded with ChatGPT's Ghibli-style image generator, leading to Sam Altman even urging users to slow down. In a recent post, the CEO of OpenAI—the company behind the native image generator—revealed the huge number of users they have added to their customer base following the craze.

Sam Altman joined the trend by sharing a Ghibli-style image of himself (L) and a pic created by an X user (R). (X@sama, @_julianlevy)
Sam Altman joined the trend by sharing a Ghibli-style image of himself (L) and a pic created by an X user (R). (X@sama, @_julianlevy)

“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,” Altman wrote. He then added the number of users ChatGPT gained in an hour. “We added one million users in the last hour,” he continued.

Also Read: Only true-blue Bollywood fans can guess all 10 movies from their Studio Ghibli-style makeovers

Take a look at the post here:

How did social media react?

“Wow, congrats! Using Ghibli’s work to train your model and Ghibli’s name to promote it really helped you generate huge revenue! And the fact that you’re planning on paying a big royalty check to Ghibli proves you’re a great guy, too!” sarcastically wrote an X user. Another added, “Can’t wait for this to happen to my startup lol.”

Also Read: ChatGPT users freak out after seeing ghostly figures in Ghibli edits. Viral videos

A third posted, “Wow. That is wild. Who knew image generation was the game changer.” A fourth commented, “ChatGPT didn’t just go viral. It inverted the interface of intelligence. Suddenly, people could build, learn, and explore faster than institutions. That wasn’t hype; that was a tectonic shift.”

ChatGPT and Ghibli-style AI pics:

ChatGPT recently launched its native image generator, and it became insanely famous after people realised they could create Ghibli-style images using it.

The AI pictures mimic the hand-drawn aesthetics, soft colour palettes, and whimsical, dreamlike settings of the famous Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli behind classics like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. It was founded in 1985 by legendary filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trisha Sengupta

Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.

Discover the latest Trending News, viral videos, social media stories and unusual events from India and around the world. Stay updated with the topics everyone is talking about.
Discover the latest Trending News, viral videos, social media stories and unusual events from India and around the world. Stay updated with the topics everyone is talking about.
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