# OpenAI DALL·E 2 — deprecation status

> Yes — DALL·E 2 is retired. OpenAI deprecated it on November 14, 2025 and shut it down on May 12, 2026; API requests to it now fail. The recommended replacement is GPT Image 2.

The model that put text-to-image generation in front of a general audience in 2022, complete with the waitlist that made it feel like an event. By the time it was retired in May 2026 it had been outclassed for years — it survived on inertia and on the inpainting API that had no direct successor for a while.

## Facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Provider | OpenAI |
| Model id | `dall-e-2` |
| Status | Retired |
| Released | April 6, 2022 |
| Deprecated | November 14, 2025 |
| Shutdown | May 12, 2026 (79 days ago) |
| Last verified | July 30, 2026 |

## Replacement

- **GPT Image 2** (`gpt-image-2`) · recommended — https://modeldeprecations.dev/openai/gpt-image-2
  - The request shape differs: gpt-image models are called through the images endpoint with a different parameter set, and there is no direct equivalent of the DALL·E 2 variations call.
  - Parameters it accepts: https://modelparams.dev/models/openai/gpt-image-2

```diff
- "model": "dall-e-2"
+ "model": "gpt-image-2"
```

## FAQ

### When did OpenAI DALL·E 2 shut down?

OpenAI DALL·E 2 shut down on May 12, 2026. API requests to it fail from that date onward.

### What replaces OpenAI DALL·E 2?

OpenAI recommends GPT Image 2 (`gpt-image-2`) as the replacement for OpenAI DALL·E 2. The request shape differs: gpt-image models are called through the images endpoint with a different parameter set, and there is no direct equivalent of the DALL·E 2 variations call.

### Is OpenAI DALL·E 2 still available?

No. OpenAI DALL·E 2 is retired and no longer served — it was shut down on May 12, 2026. Calls to it return an error.

### How do I migrate from OpenAI DALL·E 2 to gpt-image-2?

Swap the model id in your API call: replace "dall-e-2" with "gpt-image-2". The request shape differs: gpt-image models are called through the images endpoint with a different parameter set, and there is no direct equivalent of the DALL·E 2 variations call.

## Sources

- [OpenAI API deprecations](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/deprecations) — accessed 2026-07-30

---

Canonical page: https://modeldeprecations.dev/openai/dall-e-2
JSON: https://modeldeprecations.dev/api/v1/models/openai/dall-e-2.json