ChatGPT Goes Down, Google Launches Gemini 2.5 Pro, and WhatsApp Updates iPhone: Top Tech News This Week

This week, the tech world was buzzing with major updates and innovations, ranging from AI advancements to new app features. As OpenAI's ChatGPT gained attention for its viral Studio Ghibli-style image generator, Google quietly launched the Gemini 2.5 Pro model, WhatsApp became the default messaging app for iPhones, and Instagram introduced a fast-forward feature for reels. Here's a rundown of the top five technology stories from the week.

1) ChatGPT Goes Down Amid Viral Studio Ghibli Trend

ChatGPT’s image generation feature briefly went offline this past Sunday, right after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman asked users to ease up on image generation due to high demand. The feature, which had only recently been unlocked, allows ChatGPT to generate more nuanced and detailed images than its previous reliance on DALL-E.

Soon after the feature was made available, social media users began using ChatGPT to convert their real-life images into Studio Ghibli-style creations. This newfound trend went viral quickly, leading to overwhelming demand on the servers, resulting in a brief shutdown. OpenAI responded by limiting image generation access, even for paid ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers, in an effort to manage the load on the company’s GPUs.

One standout image came from Aravind Srinvas, who turned a version of the Bhagavad Gita into a Ghibli-inspired visual. The images, including whimsical Lego-style versions of popular characters, quickly captured the imagination of the internet.

2) Google Rolls Out Gemini 2.5 Pro for All Users

While ChatGPT's new image generation feature stole the spotlight, Google made waves by launching its Gemini 2.5 Pro model to all users. Gemini 2.5 Pro is a reasoning-based language model, similar to OpenAI’s o3 Mini or DeepSeek R1, designed to mimic human-level reasoning before providing answers.

The model is already a standout in the AI community, ranking as the top chatbot on LMArena, an open-source platform created by UC Berkeley SkyLab. It achieved an impressive accuracy score of 18.8% on the Humanity’s Last Exam, beating out competitors like OpenAI’s o3 Mini (14%) and DeepSeek R1 (8.6%).

Gemini 2.5 Pro stands out with its high context window of 1 million tokens, which is roughly equivalent to 750,000 words. This feature significantly surpasses Claude 3.7 Sonnett's 500,000 token context window and the o3 Mini’s 200,000 token window, positioning Gemini 2.5 Pro as a formidable force in AI-powered chatbots. It’s proficient in common coding tasks, math, and science queries, making it a strong contender in the growing AI space.

3) Grok AI Takes Center Stage Amid Studio Ghibli Trend

While ChatGPT’s image generator was facing downtime, xAI's Grok 3 quickly emerged as a popular alternative for users eager to create Studio Ghibli-style images. Grok 3, one of the best free text-to-image generation models available without significant censorship, became the go-to platform for turning images into anime-style art.

With many users hitting paywalls on ChatGPT, Grok 3 offered an open and easy way to generate the highly sought-after Studio Ghibli-inspired imagery. Its freedom and user-friendly design made it an attractive option, allowing creators to express themselves in the popular Japanese anime style with ease.

4) Instagram Users Can Now Fast-Forward Reels

In a new feature that's bound to appeal to content consumers, Instagram now allows users to fast-forward reels by playing them at 2x speed. This update, which is available to all Instagram users, mirrors similar features found on platforms like TikTok. By simply long-pressing on either side of the screen while a reel is playing, users can now skip ahead, making it easier to browse through content at a faster pace.

This feature is one of several updates coming to Instagram that seem to take inspiration from TikTok, with the goal of improving user engagement and providing a better overall experience. With the rise of short-form video content, Instagram’s fast-forward option is likely to become a fan favorite among users looking to streamline their viewing habits.

5) WhatsApp Becomes Default App for iPhone Users

In a major update for iPhone users, WhatsApp now allows users to set the app as the default messaging and calling service. With the rollout of version 25.8.74, iPhone users can now bypass Apple’s built-in Messages and Phone/FaceTime apps, allowing WhatsApp to automatically launch when making calls or sending messages.

This move underscores WhatsApp’s growing importance as a communication tool, particularly among users who prefer it over Apple’s native options. As more people shift to using WhatsApp for their day-to-day messaging, this new feature will likely enhance user convenience and streamline communication on iPhones.

The Week in Tech: A Snapshot of the Future

As we look back at this week in technology, it’s clear that the industry is experiencing rapid innovation and exciting new developments. From ChatGPT’s viral image generation feature to Google’s powerful Gemini 2.5 Pro launch and WhatsApp's big update for iPhones, the future of tech is filled with promise. Whether it’s exploring new AI capabilities or enhancing the social media experience, the tech world continues to surprise and captivate users with fresh features and improvements.

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