ChatGPT’s Image Generation Feature Now Available to All Users

ChatGPT’s built-in image generation feature is now available to everyone. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had announced last week that the company was delaying its rollout to free tier users "for a while," due to the tool’s overwhelming popularity. However, the company has now made the feature available to free users over the weekend, allowing them to generate images from within ChatGPT without having to switch to OpenAI’s DALL-E generator. Previously, the tool was only available to Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers.

Usage Limitations and Copyright Concerns

Altman had previously stated that free users will be limited to generating three images per day. However, based on our experience, some accounts are limited to just one image per day. Users who can generate more than one image will still have to wait anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours. One of the tool’s most popular uses is the creation of Ghibli-style images using real-life photos. Users can upload a photo and instruct ChatGPT in natural language to create a Ghibli-style version of it. This trend has raised concerns about the legality of using copyrighted work as training data for artificial intelligence. It has also resurfaced the reaction of Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli’s founder, who had previously stated, "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself," upon being shown AI-generated animation years ago.

Ongoing Development and Guidelines

In a tweet, Altman mentioned that the tool could still exhibit erratic behavior and may refuse some generations that should be allowed. OpenAI is still working to fix the issue. The company has also stated that it "takes action" if a generated image violates company guidelines, although the specifics of these actions are not detailed. As OpenAI continues to develop and refine its image generation feature, users can create and customize images simply by chatting with GPT-4. By describing their needs, including specifics like aspect ratio, exact colors using hex codes, or a transparent background, users can generate images with ease.