ChatGPT users soar past 150 million as AI-generated Ghibli Art sparks global craze

A viral trend around Ghibli-style AI-generated art has propelled OpenAI’s ChatGPT to new heights, with the chatbot surpassing 150 million weekly active users for the first time this year. The surge, driven by the app’s latest image-generation capabilities, strained OpenAI’s servers and forced temporary limitations on the feature.

Users worldwide have flooded social media with AI-generated images mimicking the hand-drawn aesthetic of Studio Ghibli, the legendary Japanese animation house behind classics like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The trend caused ChatGPT’s global app downloads to rise by 11% last week, while weekly active users increased by 5%, according to market intelligence firm SensorTower.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighted the explosive growth, stating in an X post on Monday, “We added one million users in the last hour.” The milestone marks a stark contrast to ChatGPT’s initial launch in late 2022, when it took five days to amass the same number of users. SensorTower also reported a 6% rise in in-app purchase revenue, indicating that more users are opting for premium AI features.

However, the AI-generated Ghibli art trend has raised concerns over potential copyright violations. While copyright law typically protects specific expressions rather than artistic styles, legal experts warn that the increasing realism of AI-generated works could challenge existing intellectual property frameworks. “The legal landscape of AI-generated images mimicking Studio Ghibli's distinctive style is an uncertain terrain,” said Evan Brown, a partner at law firm Neal & McDevitt.

The controversy has also reignited past criticisms of AI in creative industries. Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s 2016 comments resurfaced online, in which he expressed strong disapproval of AI-generated images, stating, “I am utterly disgusted. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all.” OpenAI has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the data used to train its AI models and the legality surrounding the feature.

As AI-generated art gains traction, the debate over creativity, copyright, and ethical AI usage is likely to intensify. Meanwhile, ChatGPT’s rapid user growth underscores the growing public interest in AI-generated media, even as legal and ethical concerns loom over the industry’s future.