OpenAI rolled out its new image-generation feature on ChatGPT more than a week ago. Although it was meant to be accessible to everyone, including non-subscribers, a delay caused it to only be available to Plus, Pro, and Team users. The wait is now over, as CEO Sam Altman announced via X that the feature can now be used by free users as well.
Free OpenAI users will notice some limitations to the feature, as Altman previously mentioned a limit of three free image generations per day. There have also been reports of inconsistency of the feature, as some users have only been able to generate one image per day, while others experienced delays in between their image requests that went up to hours. Altman stated that the company is working to rectify these issues.
chatgpt image gen now rolled out to all free users!
— Sam Altman (@sama) April 1, 2025
The model was first launched on 25 March to immediate popularity due to the image production being similar to the Japanese animators, Studio Ghibli. For free users, the delay was previously stated by Altman to be caused by a user demand that was “wayyyy more popular than expected”, reporting that a million users were added within an hour. Now, OpenAI’s image generation feature has been made accessible to all users regardless of their tier.
This feature has brought up discussions of the ethics and copyright concerns regarding AI-generated art, especially ones that are clearly based on an established, distinguished style such as that of Studio Ghibli. With the backlash OpenAI’s image generation has received from both creators and users alike, it would be interesting to see if OpenAI will ever revamp its current image generator’s art-style.
(Source: Neowin, Sam Altman via X[1],[2], AnimeMojo)
Manisha Dharmendra contributed to this article.
