On Sunday, March 2025, OpenAI’s ChatGPT servers crashed globally, leaving millions of users frustrated. The outage was triggered by an unprecedented surge in demand for the platform’s new Studio Ghibli-style image generation feature. As users flocked to create AI-generated artworks in the iconic Japanese animation style, the platform’s infrastructure struggled to keep up.

The disruption began on Saturday evening and worsened by Sunday afternoon, with error reports spiking around 4:19 pm (as per Downdetector). Users encountered messages stating:

“You’ve reached the rate limit.”
They were unable to generate images or access other ChatGPT functionalities.

OpenAI’s Response to the Outage

• OpenAI confirmed that users were experiencing “elevated errors”, and engineers were actively working on a fix.
• By late Sunday, the company announced that all services had fully recovered.
• OpenAI also promised to release a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) within five business days to explain the incident in detail.

Ghibli-Style Image Generation – The Cause of the Crash

The primary culprit behind the outage was OpenAI’s new Ghibli-style image generation feature, which allows users to create artworks inspired by Studio Ghibli’s whimsical and ethereal aesthetic.

The feature quickly went viral, flooding social media platforms with AI-generated anime-inspired images, causing a massive spike in usage.
The demand became so intense that OpenAI’s servers were overwhelmed, leading to a complete system crash.

OpenAI Introduces Rate Limits to Control Demand

In response to the overload, OpenAI implemented new rate limits on image generation:

• Free-tier users: Now limited to three image generations per day (previously unlimited).
• Paid subscribers (ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, and Select): Continue to have unrestricted access.

This measure aims to prevent future outages by reducing GPU load and stabilizing the platform.

Sam Altman’s Humorous Appeal to Users

As the platform struggled under the pressure, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took to X (formerly Twitter) with a humorous plea:

“Can y’all please chill on generating images, this is insane. Our team needs sleep.”

can yall please chill on generating images this is insane our team needs sleep

— Sam Altman (@sama) March 30, 2025

This candid remark highlighted the immense strain on OpenAI’s engineers, who were working around the clock to restore services.

Altman Defends OpenAI Team Amid Criticism

During the outage, a user on X jokingly suggested that OpenAI should fire the team responsible for the image generation feature.

fire your team and generate a new team

— LaDoger₿ (@LaDoger21) March 30, 2025

In response, Altman strongly defended his team, saying:

“No thanks. In addition to building AGI, this team is on trajectory to build the biggest website in the world from a cold start 2.33 years ago. Best team in the world.”

His message underscored the team’s achievements and the immense complexity of managing AI infrastructure at scale.

The Growing Challenge of AI Scalability

The ChatGPT outage highlights the growing challenge OpenAI faces as demand for AI-generated content skyrockets.

• With millions of daily users and increasingly complex features, maintaining server stability is becoming harder.
• The incident also reflects the massive computational demands required to power large-scale AI models.

As OpenAI continues to push the boundaries of AI innovation, its ability to scale infrastructure and ensure platform stability will be crucial in meeting user expectations.

What’s Next for OpenAI?

The March 2025 outage demonstrates both the overwhelming popularity and the technical challenges of AI platforms. With Ghibli-style image generation becoming a viral sensation, OpenAI now faces the task of expanding its server capacity and optimizing GPU usage to prevent future crashes.

Stay tuned to Cosbom.com for more updates on OpenAI’s latest features and industry news!

WhatsApp continues to push exciting new updates, making the messaging experience more dynamic and engaging. In March 2025, several beta features have finally made their way to the stable version, along with some unexpected surprises. Let’s dive into all the new WhatsApp features you can now use on Android, iPhone, and Web versions.

1. Add Songs to Status Updates

Available on Android & iPhone

Finally! WhatsApp now lets you add songs to your status updates, bringing it on par with Instagram.
Here’s how it works:

Share it as your WhatsApp status.

Tap the song icon while creating a status.

Search for any song from the vast music catalog.

Select the portion of the song you want to feature.

This feature adds a fun and expressive element to your status, making it feel more personalized and vibrant.

2. Redesigned Font & Color Selection Tool

Available on Android & iPhone

WhatsApp has revamped its font and color selection tool, making it much easier to customize your status text.
Previously, you had to cycle through fonts and colors one by one. Now, they are displayed as a palette, allowing you to:

• Select fonts and colors faster and more efficiently.
• Enjoy a smoother design experience.

This update makes creating stylish text statuses a breeze.

3. WhatsApp Web Gets a Makeover

Available on Web

WhatsApp Web has finally received a much-needed design refresh. The new theme offers:

• Darker color schemes, making it visually consistent with the mobile app.
• Updated icons and UI elements for a cleaner look.

Head over to web.whatsapp.com to check out the sleek new interface.

4. Add Instagram Links to Bio

Available on Android & iPhone

You can now add Instagram links to your WhatsApp bio, making it easier for people to discover your profile.
How to do it:

• Go to Settings > Profile > Edit Bio.
• Add your Instagram link.
• It will now appear in your profile for others to tap and visit.

This is a great feature for creators, influencers, and businesses looking to promote their Instagram profiles directly through WhatsApp.

5. Create AI-Generated Profile Pictures

Available on Android & iPhone

Meta AI has introduced a new option that lets you create an AI-generated profile picture or group chat icon.How to use it:

• Go to Settings > Profile > Profile Picture > Edit (Pen Icon).
• Select Create AI Image.
• Add creative prompts or descriptions to generate unique avatars.

This feature gives you limitless creative freedom to design fun and unique profile images.

6. View Once Photos on Linked Devices

Available on Android & iPhone

Previously, View Once photos were only accessible on your primary device. Now, you can view them on linked devices too.

• No need to switch back to your main phone.
• This makes it easier to access sensitive photos on multiple devices.

This update offers more flexibility and convenience for multi-device users.

7. Event Option for Individual Chats

Available on Android & iPhone

WhatsApp has expanded the Event feature to individual chats, which was previously only available for groups.
Here’s what you can do:

• Create events directly from one-on-one chats.
• Set reminders and add event details.
• Plan meetings, dates, or personal tasks.

This is a handy productivity feature for organizing personal and professional events.

What to Expect Next?

These March 2025 updates make WhatsApp more dynamic, customizable, and user-friendly. With AI-powered profile images, enhanced status options, and better multi-device support, WhatsApp is moving towards a richer communication experience.

Stay tuned for more monthly WhatsApp feature updates here on Cosbom.com!

India, the second-largest smartphone market globally, continues to be a major focus for Apple. To strengthen its presence, Apple has announced plans to open four more retail stores in the country. Additionally, the company has started manufacturing the iPhone 16 series domestically, with the first India-made iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max expected to be available this month.

Apple opened its first two stores in India last year in Mumbai and Delhi. Now, it plans to expand further with new stores in Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi-NCR, and another location in Mumbai. While the company has yet to confirm the opening dates, this move signifies Apple’s growing commitment to the Indian market.

“We’re thrilled to build our teams as we plan to open more stores in India because we’re inspired by the creativity and passion of our customers across this country. We can’t wait for them to have even more opportunities to discover and shop for our amazing products and services and connect with our extraordinary, knowledgeable team members.”–  Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail

Currently, Apple employs over 3,000 people in India, including those working in its retail operations. With the addition of these new stores, this number is expected to increase significantly. Earlier this year, Apple also opened a 15-floor office in Bengaluru, which can accommodate up to 1,200 employees. The facility includes a lab space, wellness areas, collaboration zones, and a Caffe Macs.

In addition to expanding its retail presence, Apple has begun manufacturing its entire iPhone 16 lineup, including the high-end Pro models, in India through partners Foxconn and Pegatron. Apple began assembling iPhones in India in 2017 with the iPhone SE and last year produced the iPhone 15 locally. This shift is part of Apple’s strategy to reduce reliance on China amid growing geopolitical tensions and to capitalize on India’s expanding smartphone market.

As a result of local manufacturing, the iPhone 16 Pro models have seen a price reduction compared to last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models, although pricing for the non-Pro versions remains unchanged. These India-made iPhone 16 Pro models will soon be available both domestically and for export to select markets.

It’s important to note that the new iPhone 16 models won’t include Apple Intelligence features out of the box, regardless of where they are produced. While Apple has confirmed that AI features will be available in the U.S. with an iOS 18 update in October, the rollout of Apple Intelligence in India is expected to take place in 2025.