OpenAI and Google are facing tremendous pressure on their infrastructure due to the immense popularity of their latest media generation platforms. As a result, both companies have announced reductions in the number of image or video requests users can make for free each day on tools such as Sora and Nano Banana Pro.
Article contents:
- Overwhelming demand strains infrastructure
- New Sora limits: “Our GPUs are melting”
- Google tightens grip on Nano Banana Pro and Gemini
- Why these limits are necessary: understanding computing costs
- Impact on users and the shift toward paid subscriptions
- Frequently asked questions
Overwhelming demand strains infrastructure
AI-powered image and video generation tools have seen a massive surge in usage, especially during holiday periods like Thanksgiving in the United States. This huge turnout appears to have pushed these services to the absolute limits of their computing capabilities. Creating creative content using artificial intelligence requires immense resources, and companies are struggling to keep up with demand.
New Sora limits: “Our GPUs are melting”
Bill Peebles, head of Sora at OpenAI, announced the new restrictions in a candid post on the X platform (formerly Twitter). Peebles wrote: “Our GPUs are melting, and we want to let as many people as possible access Sora!” Graphics processing units (GPUs) are the specialized computer chips used by AI services to perform the complex calculations required to generate media.
According to the new policy, free video generation on Sora will be capped at just 6 videos per day for regular users. This restriction aims to distribute available resources more fairly. However, Peebles emphasized that ChatGPT Plus and Pro accounts will not see any changes to their current usage limits, prioritizing paying users. He added that users can purchase additional generations as needed.
Google tightens grip on Nano Banana Pro and Gemini
OpenAI was not alone in facing this challenge. Google has also imposed new limits on its image generator, “Nano Banana Pro.” The Gemini support page indicates that users without a paid Google AI plan are now limited to just two images generated and edited daily using Nano Banana Pro. The previous limit was three images.
In addition, Google has imposed new and variable usage limits on the Gemini 3 Pro model. The support page notes that free access includes “basic access—daily limits may change frequently.” This dynamic approach allows Google to adjust limits based on current demand and server capacity.
For comparison, the maximum limit for the previous version “Nano Banana” (the non-pro version 2.5) remains at 100 free images daily, illustrating the wide gap in computing requirements between older and newer models.
Why these limits are necessary: understanding computing costs
The cost of running advanced generative artificial intelligence models is extremely high. Every request made by a user requires significant energy and costly computing resources. When the expression “GPUs are melting” is used, it metaphorically refers to the extreme stress and high heat experienced by servers due to intensive and continuous calculations.
When demand exceeds available capacity, companies are forced to impose restrictions to ensure service stability and prevent it from slowing down or crashing for everyone, and to manage the massive operational costs associated with offering these services for free.
Impact on users and the shift toward paid subscriptions
For regular users and amateur creators who enjoy trying out these tools for free, these limitations can be frustrating and reduce their ability to experiment and create freely. However, this step highlights a growing trend in the AI industry toward paid subscription models.
As models evolve and their capabilities increase, the cost of running them grows, making it unsustainable to offer unlimited free access. These restrictions may push more users to consider subscribing to paid plans for better access and higher usage limits, representing the future business model of advanced generative AI.
Frequently asked questions
What is the reason for imposing restrictions on Sora and Nano Banana Pro?
The main reason is overwhelming demand placing heavy pressure on the computational infrastructure (GPUs) required to run these advanced models, threatening service stability and increasing costs.
How many videos can I generate for free on Sora daily?
The new limit has been set to 6 videos per day for free users.
Are paid accounts affected by these restrictions?
No, ChatGPT Plus and Pro accounts, as well as paid Google AI plan subscribers, are not affected by these changes to free limits and enjoy better access.
What is the new free image limit on Nano Banana Pro?
The limit has been reduced to just two images per day for free users.
