OpenAI Adds Native GIF Generation to ChatGPT With Images 2.6 Model

The headline feature is GIF generation, but the more telling detail is the volume: image output climbing from roughly 3 billion to over 4 billion a week in a short span signals that generation is becoming a default interaction rather than a novelty. Bundling the new Images 2.6 model across ChatGPT, Codex and the API, including the Flare and Sunburst variants, points to OpenAI treating image synthesis as shared infrastructure across products rather than a standalone tool. For teams building on the API, model naming and tiering are the practical detail to track; whether this cadence of image generation keeps compounding is the open question.