OpenAI’s latest update let people turn their selfies into dreamy Studio Ghibli-style portraits, and the internet? It absolutely lost its mind. Powered by OpenAI’s new GPT-4o model, the feature instantly went viral, filling timelines with anime-style families, couples, pets, and even favourite movie characters — all reimagined in those soft, whimsical Ghibli vibes. Things blew up so fast that even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had to step in and ask people to chill, because apparently, the servers (and the team) needed a break.
Meet the guy who accidentally made Ghibli-styled images go viral
Turns out, this whole trend didn’t just magically explode — it started with a pretty wholesome post from Seattle-based software engineer Grant Slatton. Not long after OpenAI launched the feature for paid users, Slatton shared an AI-generated Ghibli-style portrait of him, his wife, and their dog on X (aka Twitter). His caption? “Tremendous alpha right now in sending your wife photos of y’all converted to Studio Ghibli anime.”
The internet ate it up. His post quickly racked up millions of views, and suddenly everyone wanted in on the action. People flooded the replies with their own Ghibli creations, and the post even landed in a Business Insider article. One user summed it up perfectly: “Grant, everyone I know is making, posting, and sharing Ghibli anime pics. You’ve created the most adorable monsters.”
From cute vibes to controversy
Of course, no internet trend goes viral without a little backlash. Some users were quick to point out the ethical concerns, saying the feature disrespects real anime artists and studios like Studio Ghibli, which famously avoid AI and tech shortcuts. But that didn’t stop the wave — Slatton’s original post now has nearly 50 million views and over 45,000 likes.
Now it’s available for everyone (well, sort of)
After that massive viral moment, OpenAI decided to roll out the image-gen feature to all ChatGPT users — even the free ones. But if you’re not paying, don’t expect unlimited magic. There’s a usage cap for free users, so pace yourself.
Still, it’s official: anime-fying yourself is the new personality trait, and it all started with one guy sending his wife a cute pic.
