Google And OpenAI Are Tightening Free Access To Latest AI Models: Here's Why

Major AI players are tightening the ropes around free usage, signalling a new phase in how cutting-edge models will be offered to the masses. Over the past few days, both Google and OpenAI have quietly pulled back the amount of access free users get on Gemini 3 Pro and Sora 2. The message is becoming clearer: compute-heavy models can’t sustain wide-open usage forever, and the shift toward paid-first access has already begun.

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Google Pulls Back Free Prompts and Image Generations

Google was the first to adjust its limits. At launch, Gemini 3 Pro clearly stated that free users could send “up to 5 prompts per day” and generate three images using Nano Banana Pro. But within days, Google scrubbed the exact figures from its support page. The new line simply says free usage comes with “daily limits [that] may change frequently”, setting the stage for more dynamic, demand-driven adjustments.

Image generation briefly dipped to two per day before returning to three. Yet Google makes it clear that these limits are fluid. As demand spikes, the system will throttle free access first to maintain performance for paid users. The shift aligns with Google's long-term goal of positioning premium tiers as the place where full capability truly lives.

OpenAI Cuts Free Video Generations on Sora 2

OpenAI reacted similarly with Sora 2. Free users once had access to 30 video generations a day, but the company has now reduced that to six. Bill Peebles from OpenAI explained the change bluntly on X, noting that the platform’s “GPUs are melting”. Video generation is among the most compute-intensive AI tasks, and Sora’s popularity created a pressure spike the free tier couldn’t carry.

Paid Tiers Take Centre Stage

Both companies now push significant capability behind subscriptions. From larger context windows to higher image limits, deep research tools, video generation and agent-based features, the real power of modern AI has moved firmly into paid plans. Free tiers remain useful entry points, but with more restrictions, the gap between casual access and professional-grade capability is widening fast.

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A Clear Strategy Shift

The pattern is unmistakable. As generative AI becomes heavier and more complex, platforms are tightening free usage to preserve performance and sustainability. What remains to be seen is how quickly these limits will evolve next.