ChatGPT gets animated GIFs as Images 2.6 ships to ChatGPT, Codex and the API
From the AI digest for Nov 4, 2026
Thread: ai — ChatGPT Images 2.6 · new
What happened: OpenAI introduced Images 2.6, available globally in ChatGPT and Codex across all subscription tiers and through the API. It generates animated GIFs from a prompt or an uploaded photo — GIFs could not be generated natively in a single step before — creates images 50 percent faster than before, and edits with greater precision, keeping characters, products and brand details consistent across edits. For API developers, two models to pick from: GPT-Image-2.6 Flare, a speed tier that can generate a low-quality image in as little as six seconds (and improves layout quality for posters and product imagery), and Sunburst, a quality tier for detail-heavy work — plus new controls including image markup, SVG export, and complexity and quality parameters. OpenAI's announcement post adds reference-image support. The company says people worldwide now create 4 billion images a week across ChatGPT, Codex and the API — more than half a billion a day.
What's genuinely new: Native GIF generation is a first for ChatGPT, and the announcement puts a scale figure on image use — 4 billion images a week — alongside the first split of OpenAI's image models into named speed and quality tiers for API developers, live now with published pricing.
Watch: Independent checks of the speed and editing-consistency claims, any limits on GIF generation across subscription tiers, and how the Flare/Sunburst API pricing plays with developers.