ChatGPT Returns to Service After Global Outage Issue Resolved by OpenAI

OpenAI quickly acknowledged the issue, posting on Twitter, “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.”

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!

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 12, 2024

ChatGPT Back Online

In an update on its website, OpenAI shared progress on resolving the issue. The company stated, “We have identified Ba pathway to recovery, and we are starting to see some traffic successfully return. Continuing to work to return service to normal.”

ChatGPT, API, and Sora were down today but we've recovered. https://t.co/OKiQYp3tXE

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 12, 2024

By mid-morning Thursday, services began to stabilise. However, many users, including GPTPro subscribers, reported slow logins and reduced performance during the recovery period.

According to Downdetector.com, an outage tracking platform, over 2,400 disruption reports were logged early Thursday morning. Businesses using OpenAI’s API for critical operations faced interruptions, highlighting the significant impact of the downtime.

This isn’t the first time ChatGPT has faced reliability challenges. On November 8, a similar outage affected over 19,000 users worldwide for 30 minutes. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the incident, saying, “We are much, much better at reliability than we used to be, but clearly more work in front of us.”

In June, the chatbot experienced another major disruption, with services down for more than five hours.

Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has seen exponential growth, now serving over 300 million weekly active users. OpenAI’s valuation has soared from $14 billion in 2021 to $157 billion in 2024. Recent reports indicate the company’s annual revenues have reached $3.6 billion.

Despite occasional technical challenges, ChatGPT remains a cornerstone of OpenAI’s offerings, with millions of users relying on its innovative AI capabilities for both personal and professional use.

Don't Miss:Google Year in Search 2024: 10 Most-Searched Terms and Their Meanings – Akaay to Demure

Meta Platforms Also Face Downtime

In a related event, social media platforms WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram experienced outages late Wednesday night. These disruptions affected thousands of users globally, preventing them from logging in, posting updates, or accessing content.

Meta confirmed the issues, stating, “We’re conducting final checks as the majority of users regain access.” According to Downdetector, over 50,000 Facebook users and 23,000 Instagram users reported issues during the outage.

While both OpenAI and Meta have restored their respective services, these incidents highlight the growing dependence on digital platforms and the challenges of maintaining uninterrupted access for billions of users worldwide.

Don't Miss:Google’s Year in Search 2024: Top 5 Most-Searched People Of 2024 In India

Keep reading Herzindagi for more such stories.

Image Courtesy: Freepik