ChatGPT is down for several users on Sunday amid Studio Ghibli’s exponential popularity. Errors were reported across the app and its API services. Open AI acknowledged the global outage and wrote, “We’re currently experiencing issues”.

One user on X wrote, “How do I explain to my prof that I couldn’t make my deadline because chatgpt is down 💀💀💀.”

‘Our GPUs are melting’: Sam Altman

Earlier, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced temporary rate limits on image generation as the company’s GPUs—graphics processing units—are overwhelmed by demand. This follows the launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest and most advanced AI model, which features an integrated image generator. The tool has sparked a viral trend on social media, with millions using it to create Studio Ghibli-inspired artwork.

Describing GPT-4o as OpenAI’s “most advanced image generator yet,” Altman admitted the surge in usage was pushing their hardware to its limits. “Our GPUs are melting,” he wrote on X, adding that temporary restrictions would be introduced to improve efficiency.

Altman reassured users that the limits wouldn’t last long, but changes were coming soon. “ChatGPT free tier will get 3 generations per day,” he stated. While OpenAI works to enhance performance, users can expect temporary constraints on AI-generated images.