OpenAI’s ChatGPT witnessed a record-breaking increase in user activity last week. This activity was driven by the rollout of its viral “Ghibli” art feature. The frenzy to generate AI-crafted images in the distinctive hand-drawn style of Studio Ghibli overwhelmed the platform. The request for such images strained its servers and temporarily limited access to the feature.
Record-Breaking Growth
The viral trend saw millions of users worldwide sharing AI-generated Ghibli-style artwork on social media. Studio Ghibli, founded by renowned director Hayao Miyazaki. It is celebrated for iconic films such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro.
According to market research firm Similarweb, ChatGPT’s weekly active users surpassed 150 million for the first time this year. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighted the unprecedented growth in an X (formerly Twitter) post on Monday: “We added one million users in the last hour,” comparing it to ChatGPT’s launch phase when it took five days to reach the same milestone.
Data from SensorTower further confirmed the trend, showing an all-time high in ChatGPT’s active users, in-app subscription revenue, and app downloads. Global app downloads rose 11% last week, while weekly active users increased by 5%, and in-app purchase revenue saw a 6% uptick.
Strain on Servers and Service Disruptions
The unexpected surge in traffic led to service disruptions, including glitches and low-scale outages. OpenAI acknowledged the technical difficulties, with co-founder Greg Brockman stating, “We are getting things under control, but you should expect new releases from OpenAI to be delayed, stuff to break, and for service to sometimes be slow as we deal with capacity challenges.”
Legal Concerns Over ChatGPT AI-Generated Art
The widespread use of the AI tool to create Ghibli-style artwork has also raised legal concerns regarding copyright. Experts suggest that while copyright laws protect specific artistic works, they do not necessarily cover an artistic style.
Evan Brown, a partner at the law firm Neal & McDevitt, commented on the situation: “The legal landscape of AI-generated images mimicking Studio Ghibli’s distinctive style is an uncertain terrain. Copyright law has generally protected only specific expressions rather than artistic styles themselves.”
OpenAI has not responded to inquiries regarding the data used to train its models or the legal implications of the Ghibli art feature.
Miyazaki’s Stance on ChatGPT AI Art
Following the viral trend, past comments from Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki resurfaced. In a 2016 statement, Miyazaki expressed strong disapproval of AI-generated imagery. “I am utterly disgusted,” he remarked upon being shown an early AI-generated animation. “I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.”
As OpenAI navigates both the technical and legal challenges stemming from the popularity of its latest feature, experts anticipate that the debate over AI-generated art and copyright protections will intensify in the coming months.