OpenAI has introduced GIF creation in ChatGPT Images 2.6, allowing users to turn text prompts, photographs and sketches into animated visuals directly within the chatbot. Launched on November 4, the update brings customisable animations to ChatGPT, giving users a new way to create festive greetings, reaction GIFs and marketing content without relying on traditional animation software.
The feature arrives ahead of Diwali, offering users the option to create personalised animated messages featuring elements such as glowing diyas, colourful rangolis and festive portraits. Users can also control specific movements, including blinking, waving and flickering lights, while adjusting playback speed to achieve the desired effect.
Unlike conventional image generation, the new feature allows users to refine animations through follow-up prompts. This makes it possible to adjust the movement and appearance of generated visuals without starting the entire process again.
Users can animate photos and customise GIFs
One of the key additions in Images 2.6 is the ability to generate animations from existing photographs. Users can provide an image or describe a scene through a text prompt, then specify how different elements should move.
The generated GIFs can include seamless loops, making them suitable for repeated playback across messaging platforms and social media. The feature also supports different creative applications, including animated storyboards, product demonstrations and branded social media content.
However, the tool currently has a limitation: users cannot directly edit pre-existing GIF files uploaded to ChatGPT. Instead, animation creation works through supported prompts and image inputs.
OpenAI is gradually rolling out the feature, meaning availability may differ among users.
OpenAI claims 50% faster image generation
Alongside animation capabilities, Images 2.6 brings improvements to image generation speed and consistency.
OpenAI claims the updated system produces images 50% faster than its predecessor. It also aims to maintain visual details across multiple edits, including facial features, clothing and product appearances.
Another addition is the ability to save named reference images for reuse in future conversations. Users can call these saved references through @mentions rather than repeatedly uploading the same photographs.
This could make the editing process more convenient for people working on recurring creative projects, particularly those who need to maintain consistent characters, products or visual styles across several images.
New capabilities extend to developers
The update also introduces additional tools for developers through GPT-Image-2.6 Flare and Sunburst, which are positioned around faster generation and higher-quality output, respectively.
New API capabilities include GIF generation, SVG export and image markup. GIF creation supports between two and 16 frames, with adjustable frame durations that give developers greater control over animation timing.
These additions expand the potential applications beyond personal image creation, particularly for businesses and developers looking to incorporate animated visuals into digital products and creative workflows.
A wider role for AI-generated visual content
With Images 2.6, OpenAI is extending ChatGPT’s image-generation capabilities into short-form animation. The combination of prompt-based creation, reusable visual references and editable animation instructions could make basic visual production more accessible to users without specialised design or animation experience.
The company is also applying moderation measures to GIF generation, recognising that potentially problematic content can emerge across multiple frames rather than in a single image.
For now, the gradual rollout will determine how widely users can access the new capabilities. Nevertheless, the addition of GIF creation gives ChatGPT another creative function, with applications ranging from personalised Diwali messages to product visuals and social media content.
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