ChatGPT user numbers hit record high after launch of 'Ghibli effect'

(CLO) The craze for creating Ghibli-style art using ChatGPT's image generator has led to a record number of users of OpenAI's chatbot last week, putting pressure on servers and raising concerns about copyright infringement.

The trend has users around the world sharing images in the signature hand-drawn style of Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio founded by legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, whose films include Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro.

According to data from market research firm Similarweb, the average number of weekly users surpassed 150 million for the first time this year. “We added 1 million users in just the last hour,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a post on X on March 31. He compared that to the 1 million users milestone within 5 days of ChatGPT’s launch more than 2 years ago.

Sam Altman's Studio Ghibli-style profile picture on X social media. Screenshot.

According to SensorTower data, after updating the GPT-4o model to enable enhanced imaging, the number of active users, in-app subscription revenue, and app downloads reached all-time highs last week. App downloads and weekly active users on ChatGPT increased by 11% and 5%, respectively, compared to the previous week. In-app purchase revenue also increased by 6%.

Due to the surge in traffic, the chatbot has experienced a series of minor outages and outages over the past week. “We’re managing the situation, but you should expect new releases from OpenAI to be delayed, some features to be broken, and occasional service delays as we work to manage the load,” OpenAI CEO said.

However, the misuse of AI tools to create the “Ghibli effect” is now raising concerns about copyright infringement. “The legal landscape around AI creating images that mimic Studio Ghibli’s signature style is a gray area,” said Evan Brown, a partner at law firm Neal & McDevitt. “Copyright law typically only protects specific works, not the artistic style itself.”

As the “Ghibli effect” craze shows no signs of abating, Hayao Miyazaki’s comments from 2016 about AI-generated imagery are also causing a stir. “I find it extremely disgusting,” he commented. “I would never want to use this technology in my work.”

OpenAI has not yet responded to questions about the data sources used to train the company's AI models, nor the legality of this feature.

Tran Hien (according to Similarweb, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/luong-nguoi-dung-chatgpt-dat-ky-luc-sau-khi-ra-mat-hieu-ung-ghibli-post341110.html