“Our GPUs are melting.”: OpenAI and Google restrict free AI access amid high demand

OpenAI has tightened AI generation limits for Sora, reducing free accounts to just six video generations per day. Bill Peebles, who leads Sora at the company, said,via X, the platform is struggling under “overwhelming demand” and joked that “our GPUs are melting.”

While OpenAI has previously introduced temporary caps, Peebles did not say this latest restriction will be lifted. Instead, he highlighted that users can now purchase extra video generations, part of OpenAI’s increasing focus on scalable monetization. Limits for ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers remain unchanged, though OpenAI hasn’t specified those caps publicly.

Google cuts Nano Banana Pro image generations

Google has also reduced free access to its new Nano Banana Pro image generator, dropping daily limits from three images to two. The adjustment was first spotted by 9to5Google and later confirmed within the tool’s interface, which warns that usage caps “may change frequently and without notice.”

The company appears to be restricting free users’ access to Gemini 3 Pro as well, continuing a trend of tightening availability following high-demand rollouts.

High demand drives stricter limits

Both companies have experienced heavy usage patterns since releasing their latest models, prompting resource management measures across platforms. The holiday weekend, as well as the festive season, is expected to drive even higher traffic, making AI generation limits more visible to casual users who rely on each platform's free tiers.

Paid users across both platforms remain unaffected for now, but companies are signaling that evolving demand may lead to shifting policies in the future.