ChatGPT updates will be delayed because of interest in new features, OpenAI boss Sam Altman warns

Chief executive had previously said interest in new image tool meant its computers were ‘melting’

The new Tasks feature on ChatGPT will enable users to ask the AI chatbot to schedule tasks (PA) (PA Archive)

Updates from OpenAI will be delayed because of the interest in its new features, according to the company.

Last week, OpenAI announced the launch of a new photo tool for ChatGPT. It allows users to ask for a picture in the same way they would ask for text, and the system will generate it.

Immediately, users found they could ask the system to take their pictures and turn them into the style of Studio Ghibli, the popular Japanese animation company. Such images went viral immediately.

Soon after, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said that the interest in the feature was “melting” the GPUs that are used to process the requests.

“can yall please chill on generating images this is insane our team needs sleep,” he wrote in another tweet.

He also said that ChatGPT had added a million users in an hour. During ChatGPT’s initial launch, which made it the most popular app ever, it added a million users in five days.

That interest has presumably increased over the last day, since OpenAI made the image generation tool available to free users.

Now, Mr Altman has said that the popularity of the image generation tool will mean that new features from the company will be delayed, and that its systems might not work as expected.

“we are getting things under control, but you should expect new releases from openai to be delayed, stuff to break, and for service to sometimes be slow as we deal with capacity challenges,” he wrote.