OpenAI’s chatbot platform reaches a milestone with a million new users in one hour following the introduction of a new AI image generation feature, though the surge caused server strain.
In a remarkable surge of growth, OpenAI’s chatbot platform, ChatGPT, recorded an astonishing milestone of one million new users joining within just one hour on March 31, 2025. This development comes in the wake of the rollout of a new AI image generation feature that allows users to create images in the iconic style of Studio Ghibli, a renowned Japanese animation studio.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, shared this achievement via a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the stark difference from the initial launch of ChatGPT 26 months ago, where it took five days to reach the same number of users. In his post, Altman noted, “the chatgpt launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments i’ve ever seen, and we added one million users in five days. we added one million users in the last hour”. This recent surge has surpassed even those early successes, which he described as “one of the craziest viral moments” of his career.
The excitement surrounding the new features has led to what Altman referred to as “biblical demand,” with users eager to explore the image generation capabilities of ChatGPT, which promises to merge the functionalities of ChatGPT and DALL-E into a single platform. Initially, users were able to access this feature without any usage limits, allowing for widespread experimentation and creativity.
However, the sudden influx of users has placed a considerable strain on OpenAI’s servers. Reports surfaced over the weekend of outage issues as the platform struggled to cope with the volume of traffic. This situation prompted Altman to address the issue directly, asking users to “chill” on generating images, indicating the team needed rest amid the overwhelming demand. In a light-hearted tone, he remarked, “can yall please chill on generating images this is insane our team needs sleep.”
By Sunday afternoon, around 4 p.m., many users reported difficulties accessing ChatGPT, which was predominantly affected by server strain. OpenAI acknowledged the problems and later confirmed that all impacted services had been restored.
Alongside the launch of the new image creation feature, OpenAI is also preparing for the release of GPT-4.5, which the company promotes as the most significant update to its language models to date, aiming to enhance emotional intelligence and breadth of knowledge in interactions with users. This combination of features paints a promising picture for OpenAI’s future trajectory, reflecting a robust commitment to innovation within the growing field of artificial intelligence.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.techtimes.com/articles/309838/20250331/openai-celebrates-chatgpt-earning-1m-users-only-hour-it-because-ai-image-generation.htm – This URL corroborates OpenAI’s achievement of gaining one million users for ChatGPT in just an hour, driven by its new AI image generation feature, and the challenges the company faced with server overload.
- https://www.news18.com/world/ghibli-images-chatgpt-ceo-sam-altman-says-one-million-users-added-in-one-hour-urges-netizens-to-slow-down-9282130.html – This article supports Sam Altman’s statement about ChatGPT gaining one million users in an hour due to its Ghibli-style image generation feature and his appeal to users to slow down.
- https://www.noahwire.com – Although not directly available, this URL is mentioned as a source in the article, suggesting it might provide additional details or insights into the story.
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/492eca/siteassets/publications/benchbooks/evidence/evidbb.pdf – This URL does not directly relate to the article but can be used for general legal insights, such as understanding the principles of evidence, which might indirectly support discussions around digital authenticity.
- https://www.immigrantjustice.org/sites/default/files/content-type/resource/documents/2018-10/NIJC%20Asylum%20Manual_final%2007%202018.pdf – This URL is unrelated to the article but provides information on asylum procedures, highlighting the broader scope of legal and procedural documents available online.
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/10/05/2023-21078/guidance-for-grants-and-agreements – This URL is not related to the article but offers insight into federal guidelines and legal frameworks, which might be tangentially relevant when discussing regulatory aspects of AI development.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative mentions a recent event on March 31, 2025, and discusses current developments in AI. However, I couldn’t verify if the content was previously published or if it’s a press release, which would typically be highly fresh.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
Sam Altman’s quotes are included but not sourced beyond the narrative. Without external verification, it’s difficult to confirm their originality. The quotes are likely original to this report, given the context.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from TechTimes, a moderately known publication. While not as prominent as major news outlets like the BBC or Financial Times, TechTimes is still a recognized source in the tech community.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about rapid user growth and server strain are plausible given the context of a new feature launch. However, the exact figures and specific quotes from Sam Altman couldn’t be verified independently.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative seems to be fresh and relevant, discussing recent events. However, the reliability of the source and the lack of external verification for specific details impact confidence. Plausibility is high given the context of new feature launches and potential server issues, but more independent verification is needed.
