DALL-E 2 and DALL-E 3 API Access Officially Shut Down, Completing Move to GPT Image Models

On May 12, 2026, OpenAI officially shut down API access to its DALL-E 2 and DALL-E 3 image generation models. The shutdown followed a deprecation notice issued on November 14, 2025, and developers still relying on the DALL-E models are now required to migrate to a GPT Image model.

Details

• Models retired: Both dall-e-2 and dall-e-3 stopped responding to API calls as of May 12, 2026
• Timeline: The deprecation was announced on November 14, 2025, giving developers roughly six months to migrate before the shutdown
• Migration path: OpenAI recommends migrating to gpt-image-2, gpt-image-1, or gpt-image-1-mini
• Background: Image generation within ChatGPT itself had already moved on from DALL-E 3, first to “GPT Image 1.5” in December 2025, then to “ChatGPT Images 2.0” (GPT Image 2) on April 21, 2026 — the API-side shutdown brings the two in line
• What’s next: Among the recommended replacement models, gpt-image-1 is itself scheduled for deprecation on October 23, 2026, and gpt-image-1-mini, gpt-image-1.5, and chatgpt-image-latest on December 1, 2026, as OpenAI consolidates around gpt-image-2

How to try it

• Existing integrations built on DALL-E 2 or DALL-E 3 will no longer function unless the model ID is updated to a GPT Image model such as gpt-image-2
• OpenAI says it will field migration questions through its Developer Forum
• Further consolidation toward GPT Image 2 is expected to continue through the rest of 2026