OpenAI's Sam Altman shares PM Modi's Ghibli AI art as ChatGPT hits over one million users in 24 hours

A wave of AI-generated Studio Ghibli-style images featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi has captivated social media. The Indian government’s MyGovIndia account shared 12 illustrations, depicting Modi in diplomatic meetings with global leaders such as Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, as well as cultural moments like praying at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir and engaging with children. The post was captioned: “Main character? No. He’s the whole storyline. Experience through New India in Studio Ghibli strokes.”

OpenAI Struggles to Keep Up

The trend is part of a wider phenomenon where users across the world have used OpenAI’s image-generation tool in ChatGPT to produce Ghibli-inspired art. The overwhelming demand prompted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to announce temporary usage limits on March 30, 2025. “Our GPUs are melting,” he admitted, highlighting the pressure on OpenAI’s infrastructure.


Altman, reflecting on the viral moment, compared it to ChatGPT’s initial launch: “The ChatGPT launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments I’d ever seen, and we added one million users in five days,” he wrote. “We added one million users in the last hour.”




In his recent tweet, he also announced that ChatGPT's image generation feature is now open to all users, even those using the free version.

Also Read: 'Main character? No. He's the whole storyline': Modi goes Ghibli! AI-generated art reimagines PM's key moments in style

India’s Growing Role in OpenAI’s Expansion

Altman’s remarks come at a time when OpenAI’s footprint in India is expanding rapidly. He previously noted that OpenAI had tripled its user base in India within a year, making it the company’s second-largest market. This has fuelled speculation about a potential OpenAI office in the country, though no official plans have been announced.

Ghibli’s Criticism of AI-Generated Art

While the Modi-inspired images have received widespread attention, they have also sparked criticism. An old video of Studio Ghibli’s co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki, has resurfaced, in which he strongly opposed AI-generated animation, calling it “an insult to life itself.” His stance underscores the long-standing debate over AI’s impact on traditional artistry.

Social Media Reacts

The viral trend has split opinion online. Some celebrated the AI’s ability to create stunning artwork, while others accused OpenAI of exploiting Studio Ghibli’s signature style without crediting the original creators. One X user sarcastically commented: “Wow, congrats! Using Ghibli’s work to train your model and Ghibli’s name to promote it really helped you generate huge revenue! And the fact that you’re planning on paying a big royalty check to Ghibli proves you’re a great guy, too!”

Another user added: “ChatGPT didn’t just go viral. It inverted the interface of intelligence. Suddenly, people could build, learn, and explore faster than institutions. That wasn’t hype; that was a tectonic shift.”

The Ghibli Aesthetic in AI Art

OpenAI’s image generator has gained immense popularity, allowing users to create artwork inspired by Ghibli’s distinctive hand-drawn textures, soft colour palettes, and dreamlike settings. Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, is known for beloved classics such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro.

As AI tools continue to reshape the creative landscape, the tension between artificial and traditional artistry remains unresolved. While AI-generated images provide new avenues for creativity, concerns over originality and artistic integrity persist. For now, Modi’s AI-powered Ghibli transformation stands as a symbol of both the excitement and the controversy surrounding AI in art.