The recent enhancements to ChatGPT, particularly the introduction of the powerful GPT-4o image generator, have significantly boosted its popularity. OpenAI reported an astounding surge, gaining one million users in just one hour.

This remarkable uptick in users corresponded with the release of the feature known as “Ghiblification,” which allows users to transform images into the artistic style of the renowned Japanese animation studio, Ghibli. ChatGPT has long been a leading platform in artificial intelligence, reaching millions, particularly since the launch of its mobile app.

However, it seems the service is only just beginning to hit its stride in terms of user engagement. In a recent announcement on social media, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, remarked that the influx of one million users in one hour is reminiscent of the service’s initial launch, which saw a slower onboarding process of one million users over five days.

The captivating Ghiblification feature has taken social media by storm; users are eagerly sharing their transformed images, whether they are personal photos or well-known memes. This trend has played a significant role in attracting new users to the platform, showcasing the versatility and creative potential of the image generation capabilities.

However, the surge in popularity has also posed challenges for OpenAI’s infrastructure. Initially, there were plans to make the image generator available to all user tiers, but the influx of new registrations required OpenAI to delay access for free users temporarily.

Fortunately, this setback was brief, as Altman confirmed that the feature is now accessible to free accounts as well. Despite this, new users may experience difficulties during the sign-up process due to the overwhelming number of registrations.