A sudden surge in AI-generated Ghibli-style images has overwhelmed OpenAI’s servers, forcing CEO Sam Altman to request users to slow down. The viral trend took over social media, with users creating and sharing Ghibli-inspired AI artwork at an unprecedented rate.

Studio Ghibli, the legendary Japanese animation studio behind classics like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke, became the latest AI obsession. The trend saw users flooding platforms like X and Instagram with AI-generated images mimicking Ghibli’s signature hand-drawn aesthetic.

However, the craze soon spiraled out of control, pushing ChatGPT’s servers to their limits. In a post on X, Altman urged users to cut back on image generation, stating, “Our team needs sleep.”

When a user sarcastically suggested firing the team due to high demand, Altman defended them, highlighting their achievements in just 2.33 years, including building a top-tier website from scratch and working on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

Earlier this week, Altman had already warned that ChatGPT’s server load was “too high,” leading OpenAI to restrict the feature.