Overview

• OpenAI's new image generator, integrated into ChatGPT and powered by GPT-4o, allows users to transform photos into artistic styles, including Studio Ghibli and Dragon Ball-inspired visuals.
• The tool has gone viral on social media, with users sharing AI-generated images of personal photos, iconic movie scenes, and political figures in Ghibli-style animations.
• Overwhelming demand has delayed the rollout of the feature to free-tier users, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledging server strain and high usage levels.
• Critics, including Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, have condemned the tool for mimicking artistic styles without licensing agreements, calling it a threat to human creativity and an insult to artistry.
• Legal experts are debating whether artistic styles like Ghibli's can be protected under copyright law, as OpenAI faces broader legal challenges over its use of training data.