ChatGPT Faces Global Outage; OpenAI Scrambles to Restore Services

Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, experienced a global outage on Thursday, leaving millions of users unable to access its services. The outage affected not only ChatGPT but also OpenAI’s API and Sora video generation platforms, causing disruptions for individual users and businesses alike.

OpenAI confirmed the outage and provided regular updates on its progress in addressing the issue. "We’re experiencing an outage right now. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. Sorry and we'll keep you updated,” the company stated on Twitter.

In an update on its official website, OpenAI added, “We have identified a pathway to recovery, and we are starting to see some traffic successfully return. Continuing to work to return service to normal.”

Disruptions Impact Businesses and Premium Subscribers

The outage caused significant inconvenience for premium subscribers, including GPTPro users, and businesses that rely on OpenAI’s API for various AI-driven projects. Many users reported being unable to log in, experiencing slower-than-usual performance, or facing difficulties accessing their accounts.

According to outage tracking platform Downdetector.com, there were 2,483 reports of disruptions as of early Thursday morning, highlighting the scale of the issue.

A History of Service Interruptions

This is not the first time ChatGPT has faced service interruptions. On November 8, 2024, the chatbot went offline for over 30 minutes, affecting more than 19,000 users globally. Acknowledging the issue, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated, “We are much, much better at reliability than we used to be, but clearly more work in front of us.”

In June 2024, ChatGPT suffered an even longer outage that lasted over five hours, underlining the challenges associated with maintaining uninterrupted service for a platform of its scale.

ChatGPT’s Meteoric Rise and Growing User Base

Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has witnessed exponential growth, amassing 250 million weekly active users and an even broader footprint as of December 2024. OpenAI’s valuation has soared from $14 billion in 2021 to a staggering $157 billion in 2024, with the company earning $3.6 billion in annual revenues. Earlier this month, Altman revealed that OpenAI’s technology serves 300 million active users weekly, underscoring its importance in the tech ecosystem.

Meta Platforms Also Face Global Outage

In a related development, social media giants WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, owned by Meta, experienced outages on Wednesday night. Thousands of users reported disruptions in communication and social media activities globally. Meta acknowledged the issue, stating that it was conducting final checks after restoring access for most users.

Outage tracker DownDetector.com reported that over 50,000 Facebook users encountered problems such as login failures and difficulties uploading posts around 11 pm IST. Instagram users also faced disruptions, with more than 23,000 reports of issues, including challenges accessing content and updating posts.

Conclusion

The recent outages affecting ChatGPT and Meta platforms highlight the challenges of maintaining uninterrupted services in today’s interconnected digital ecosystem. While OpenAI has made significant strides in expanding its user base and revenue, these disruptions underline the need for robust infrastructure and reliability measures to match its growing influence. Similarly, Meta's technical hiccups reveal the fragility of even the largest social media networks.

As the adoption of AI and digital platforms continues to surge, companies must invest in scalable solutions and proactive measures to minimize service interruptions. For users, these events serve as a reminder of the importance of diversifying their reliance on digital tools to ensure productivity and connectivity remain uninterrupted.