ChatGPT’s new AI image feature is delayed for free users

Tech Crunch - Mar 26th, 2025
Open on Tech Crunch

OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, announced a delay in the rollout of ChatGPT's new AI image capabilities to free users, attributing the decision to unexpectedly high demand. Initially unveiled on Tuesday, the GPT-4o's image generation feature allows users to upload and modify images and was anticipated to be accessible across all ChatGPT tiers. However, as of Wednesday, only subscribers to ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Teams can access the feature, reflecting the company's ongoing struggles with meeting demand due to limited compute capacity.

The delay highlights OpenAI's recurring challenges with product launches, as seen in previous instances like the Sora launch where signups were temporarily disabled. This situation underscores a broader issue of infrastructure limitations that the company is eager to address with its ambitious $500 billion Stargate data center project. The significance of this development lies in OpenAI's critical need to scale its infrastructure to meet the growing demand for AI innovations, which could have wide-reaching implications for the company's future growth and the accessibility of AI technologies to the public.

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RATING

6.4
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article provides a timely and clear report on OpenAI's decision to delay the rollout of new AI image features to free users. It accurately conveys the core facts, such as Sam Altman's announcement and the current availability of the features to paid subscribers. However, the story lacks depth in terms of source variety and perspective, relying heavily on OpenAI's statements without independent verification or diverse viewpoints. While the article is engaging and relevant to current technological discussions, its impact is somewhat limited by the absence of detailed analysis or exploration of broader implications. Overall, the article is informative but could benefit from additional context and verification to enhance its credibility and balance.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The story accurately reports on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's announcement regarding the delay in rolling out ChatGPT's new AI image features to free users due to higher-than-expected demand. The article correctly quotes Altman and describes the current availability of the feature to paid subscribers. However, the claim about the popularity of the feature exceeding expectations is not backed by specific data or metrics. The mention of previous product launch issues and the $500 billion Stargate data center project also lacks detailed evidence or external validation. While the core facts are consistent with known information, the story would benefit from more precise data to support its claims.

6
Balance

The article primarily presents OpenAI's perspective, particularly through the statements of CEO Sam Altman. It lacks additional viewpoints, such as those from industry analysts or affected users, which could provide a more balanced perspective on the implications of the delay. The story does not appear to overly favor OpenAI, but the absence of diverse perspectives limits the breadth of the narrative. Including opinions from external experts or user feedback could enhance the balance of the article.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and concise, with a straightforward structure that makes it easy to follow. The language is accessible, and the tone is neutral, focusing on delivering information without unnecessary jargon or complexity. The logical flow of the narrative helps readers understand the sequence of events and the current status of the feature rollout. However, additional context or background information could improve comprehension for readers unfamiliar with OpenAI or its products.

5
Source quality

The article relies heavily on statements from OpenAI and its CEO, which are credible but not independently verified within the text. It would benefit from citations or corroboration from other authoritative sources, such as industry analysts or independent tech experts, to strengthen its reliability. The lack of varied sources limits the depth of the reporting, as the story does not explore potential conflicts of interest or contrasting viewpoints.

6
Transparency

The article provides some context about OpenAI's recent challenges with product launches and capacity constraints, but it does not delve deeply into the methodology behind these claims. There is no disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, nor is there an explanation of how the information was obtained. Greater transparency about the basis of the claims, such as specific metrics or internal reports, would enhance the article's credibility.

Sources

  1. http://scripting.com
  2. https://www.manton.org/archive/
  3. https://planet.mozilla.org
  4. https://hgs.cx/locations/
  5. https://hgs.cx/locations/usa/