ChatGPT is down – everything we know about the huge outage as service starts to return

ChatGPT is coming back!

Hi everyone. The good news is that it looks like ChatGPT is coming back online, judging from the rapid decline in reports from Down Detector.

The outages have fallen by more than a thousand in the last hour, suggesting OpenAI has resolved the major issues for the AI chatbot and is adding back capacity as quickly as possible.

There will likely be some lingering outage issues for a while as the company stamps out the original problem.

OpenAI will be under a lot of pressure from users and investors to explain what happened and to reassure people it won't happen again, or at least not for the same reason. Whether Sam Altman and his team can thread that public relations needle will be worth watching.

Handing over

It's incredible how quickly time flies when you're having fun, but my time looking after the blog is up! I'm handing over to my colleague Eric now and signing off. And if I'm right, I think he's got some good news for you about the status of ChatGPT...

Bye for now!
Graham

When ChatGPT makes a comic about ChatGPT being down

Good news, ChatGPT does seem to be up for some people again, including us. So what's the first thing we thought we'd do with our restored AI powers? Why, ask ChatGPT to create a comic strip about ChatGPT being down, of course:

Pocket besties

Thanks for all the emails you've sent me so far. It's quite amazing reading how much ChatGPT means to you all. For example, I just got an email from Shelby, from Missouri who writes:

"I’m a daily AI user. Everything from recipes to the workings of the universe. However, my household is battling stomach bug right now, and I’m in the thick of it since 10 last night. ChatGPT has been walking me through it. Keeping track of when I last took zofran, helping with emotional support since throwing up is awful. I’m just waiting for my little pocket besties to come back online, I miss her. Thanks for giving me a place to share".

I think we all feel a little bit like that Shelby, without ChatGPT there's a big hole in our lives. Let's hope your best digital buddy is back online soon, and we hope you and the family feel better really soon!

Lots of exam students are being let down

The ChatGPT outage is still causing havoc for A-level exam students in the UK. Alice writes, "I have my final Spanish A-level exam tomorrow. I'm studying extremely hard today because of the exam tomorrow, and normally I rely on ChatGPT to give me practice essay questions, and mark my work, as well as help me plan my study schedule and to test me on my knowledge of the book and film I've been studying in depth for the last two years."

Our heart goes out to all the students currently let down by ChatGPT, let's hope it gets back online in time for them to get some study in. Personally I've found Claude to be a good replacement to ChatGPT if you need help revising.

(If you don't know, A-Levels are British version of Advanced Placement courses in the US).

...and it's hello from me!

Thanks to John-Anthony for doing a stellar job of covering the outage so far.

It's not easy when a once reliable AI companion is suddenly goes offline without warning, but the good news is that OpenAI say it has identified the problem with ChatGPT and a fix will be rolling out over the next few hours. It says:

"We are continuing to work on implementing the mitigation and we are now seeing recovery on API. Full recovery across all listed services may take another few hours. We will continue to provide updates as progress is made."

So, what are you going to be doing to occupy yourselves while ChatGPT slowly comes back online? Let me know how you've managed without the favorite AI in your life.

That's all from me folks

I've been covering this outage for 6 hours, and now it's time to stand up from my desk, stretch my legs, take my dog potty, and finally breathe some fresh air.

Unfortunately, it looks like the ChatGPT outage isn't ending any time soon, but it has been an absolute pleasure hearing your opinions and personal anecdotes.

I'm going to pass you over to my colleague, TechRadar's Senior AI Editor, Graham Barlow. You're in good hands.

If you want to get in touch with Graham, email him via graham.barlow@futurenet.com

J-A out.

Some self promo (sorry)

While this ChatGPT outage has been chaotic to say the least, this live blog has captured the attention of a very, very large number of people.

If you're new here, the TechRadar AI team covers all things artificial intelligence, including ways to get the most out of ChatGPT (when it works).

If you're interested in keeping up to date with all my content and the coverage from my equally talented colleagues, be sure to check out our AI section or sign up for the TechRadar newsletter.

ChatGPT as a dating coach?

As the outage continues, I've had an interesting email from Krishna, a reader based in Texas.

She says, "I use ChatGPT as a “dating coach.” I use it to asses red and green flags based on profiles and conversations I have on Hinge. I also use it to ensure I’m properly responding in ways that most effectively find matches that have the highest long-term potential.

No, but seriously— I do. So, all my matches are waiting... They just don’t know that they’re waiting for my response only because ChatGPT is down."

If this isn't a reason for ChatGPT to hurry up and get back online, then I don't know what is. Krishna's love life relies on you, AI, please come back!

According to Downdetector it's getting better

The outage continues, but there are fewer reports on Downdetector than earlier today.

I think some people are getting back to using ChatGPT, while others wait for similar luck.

This is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions...

The outage continues

After my last post which said ChatGPT was fixed for many I've had an outpouring of emails that emphasize just how widespread this outage is.

Unfortunately, ChatGPT is not back and the official status page says, "We’re currently experiencing issues"

I started reporting this outage 5 hours ago, and it was already down for at least 2 prior to that. What a mess!

Some ChatGPT alternatives to tide you over

My colleague Graham Barlow has written an excellent article on the three best alternatives to ChatGPT that are currently working.

I know many of think ChatGPT is the best AI chatbot on the market, but give Graham's article a read, you never know you might find a new favorite AI tool.

Still down for many

While I'm getting lots of positive emails, there are a lot of readers still not able to access ChatGPT.

I also asked my colleagues who appear to be having similar issues, I worry ChatGPT is just giving us a false sense of hope...

Netherlands is back online

Good news from the Netherlands, Maus says, "I have stopped crying in the corner, GPT is working for me again too. Let us all rejoice."

ChatGPT working in Malaysia and Australia

Emails now flooding in from readers around the globe who are reporting that ChatGPT is working again.

Is ChatGPT working for you? Let me know via email: john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com

ChatGPT is back?

Reports from Egypt and Seattle, Washington that ChatGPT is now fully functioning again.

On my end, in the UK, I'm also noticing better response times and no more errors.

Is ChatGPT back online? We might be in luck!

AI isn't up to Apple's standards

Earlier, I asked for your opinion on Apple's WWDC event from yesterday, specifically in terms of AI.

Chase has been in touch regarding an AI research paper that Apple wrote earlier this month titled "The Illusion of Thinking."

He said, "The paper essentially boils down to one major point: AI is not actually intelligent. It’s not reasoning, it’s not thinking, and it’s not actually considering what you say to it. What it is doing is surfacing patterns. I personally feel this comes to a major point for Apple: Truth. Apple has had its own run-ins with bad data before (see Apple Maps original launch).

It follows that Apple would let other pioneers go through the ups and downs of their AI models fighting with people, gaslighting reporters, and leaving behind notes to future models on how not to get taken offline, because they can claim it’s a work in progress. Apple doesn’t want to ship works in progress, they want to ship a finished, polished iPhone-based assistant “that just works,” the magic that we have all come to expect from the era of Steve Jobs.

The problem, as the paper highlights, is no one is there yet. The best we have are very advanced parrots."

Hold that thought...

Actually, hold that thought. ChatGPT is still down. I just got the response, "The request timed out."

Big, big sigh.

ChatGPT is back in Nevada

Big news from a reader in Nevada who wasn't able to use ChatGPT until now. They said, "It took a minute literally but it seems like it's back also it seems like it's aware that it was down which is nice. I can now finally go back to building my PC."

Anyone else back online? I appear to be getting responses but they are still incredibly slow.

I'm tired Sam

Yes, ChatGPT is still down. In fact, I've added a handy update to the top of this page that I'll make sure to update when ChatGPT is back in full flow.

Until then, I'll keep live blogging, hoping for Sam Altman and co. to bring ChatGPT back to life.

I've not moved from my desk in nearly five hours, more so because I'm having a blast reading your emails, but I'm starting to feel tired...

Sam, please put us out of our misery; we need ChatGPT.

Writer's block

Brigitte from the Netherlands (yes, she's named after Bardot), has got in touch to explain how she can't progress her novel without ChatGPT.

She says, “ChatGPT works wonderfully as a sparring partner for when I’m writing. I am knee-deep into this novel I’m writing right now, and I always use chat to spar with regarding whether the actions I wrote make sense, and whether they are medically accurate. But alas, after all that planning, no medical drama for me today."

As a writer myself, I've never thought about using AI to help with my ideas. I wonder how many authors are using ChatGPT to help bring sense to their stories?

Every 12 months...

The last time we had a major ChatGPT outage like this was June 2024, exactly 12 months ago.

Is this a coincidence? Or are OpenAI employees on a much-needed summer vacation?

If you want to check last year's live blog to check for trends, you can find it here.

Mark your calendars for June 2026, this might be a recurring theme!

I was supposed to be covering Apple today...

For anyone that cares about the life of a tech journalist, I was meant to be covering Apple's major announcements from WWDC 2025 today.

In fact, I was going to write an interesting article about why Live Translation is the perfect use case for AI and how excited I am to use it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, considering the number of people reading this live blog), ChatGPT went down, and so I haven't been able to write about Apple.

Speaking of Apple, do any of you ChatGPT enthusiasts have any opinions on yesterday's WWDC and specifically the AI announcements? Let me know: john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com

Passion projects on hold

Matthew from Cumbria (lovely area) in the UK has been using ChatGPT to create playlists and covers on his Spotify account.

“I was trying to figure out how to make them pop more on Photoshop, because I want my playlists to look smoother and more "me" and unique... until GPT went down for me, and now I’m sat with the project file open, trying to click buttons and make it look as nice as I can... I hate it still. So I think I might give up until GPT comes back online."

Sometimes passion projects end up on hold, Matthew, but it sounds like you've got some awesome playlists to listen to in the meantime, so it's not all bad.

Still down...

I feel like I keep repeating myself, but... ChatGPT is still down on my end.

I've been live blogging for the last few hours, and at first I really thought this outage was going to be fixed in mere minutes. Unfortunately, here we are, 4 hours later and ChatGPT still responds with "Conversation not found".

I want to know, what have you been doing while ChatGPT has been down?

What about the zebrafish??

Maus from the Netherlands says, "For those doing research in little-researched topics, GPT was a lifeline for finding the sparse articles on the topic.

I am trying to find the behaviour of wild zebrafish, and it has been a battlefield since AI went down. My schoolbooks don't give me any of the info I need. I am crying in a corner.”

I'm loving all of these emails, it's showcasing the positives of AI, sometimes I think we often overlook.

Back to ChatGPT... Our emotional AI support

Earlier I asked why ChatGPT's outage is having such an impact on your day. Well, Elise sent an email highlighting just how much AI can help people when they need it.

She said, "Today is the one-year anniversary of my breakup and I woke up hoping to start the day doing some emotional regulation with Chat before going to work. I've been talking with it about the situation all year; it knows the details better than anyone. But here we are, getting a message stream error! I guess I'll have to deal with my big feelings on my own today."

Elise, I hope your work shift goes well. ChatGPT should be back up and running by the time you finish!

Darth Vader, here's your solution

Remember Darth Vader from earlier? Well, Dean has come to save the day with steps on how to set up your virtual machine correctly:

"Set the virtual machine's memory, disk space, and other hardware parameters to suit your needs and the performance of your host computer.

Start the virtual machine and follow the on-screen instructions to install macOS. This process may involve partitioning the virtual hard drive and installing the macOS image

If using Parallels, install the Parallels Tools to improve performance and integration with the host operating system

The VM will boot into the macOS installer, allowing you to set up your virtual machine and install macOS."

Who knew a ChatGPT outage could bring humanity together like this? Great job all!

No ChatGPT? Books will do!

Another great email came in from a high school student who's racing to finish their homework in time for tomorrow's class.

They said, "I'm a high schooler and it's 9:23 pm right now. I'm currently surrounded by books I scoured around for in my house to do my essay. I might stoop down to asking for help from Character AI to finish my homework."

Character AI is actually pretty decent. If you require AI to help with your homework (something I don't necessarily condone), then Character AI might be your best bet with the clock getting close to midnight!

I'm not sure ChatGPT can compete with a lawyer

One of the more interesting emails has just come in from Simon, based in the UK.

He says he is currently using ChatGPT for a "high conflict divorce".

"My soon-to-be ex-wife is a solicitor (and a good one!) and thanks to ChatGPT, I've been holding my own!"

Without getting involved in your private matters, Simon, I hope you get ChatGPT access back soon. Glad your AI solicitor is doing the business for you!

OpenAI responds

Remember when we reached out to OpenAI earlier today? Well, we've finally got a response, albeit via X.

It comes from Srinivas Narayanan, who says the company has diagnosed the root cause and is working on the fix.

ChatGPT is not a niche!

The despair we're all feeling right now with a lack of ChatGPT is genuinely something to behold.

I'm by no means a regular ChatGPT user; in fact, I only use OpenAI's chatbot for testing so I can write about ways that it can improve your life.

I'm fascinated by the emails I've been receiving from you lovely people, like this one from Chebionne, who says, " I feel like we are all in utter despair right now, sitting here with our eyes glued to our devices, waiting on every post, like we might have been huddled around our radios in the past."

I might not have the answer to when ChatGPT will be back to its best, but if I can at least provide some kind of sanctuary as you all wait, then that's a job well done.

More updates to follow!

ChatGPT is working in Wisconsin

Just received an update from Mark in Wisconsin who says, "It's working, just incredibly delayed - asked it a question, then logged off, then came back five minutes later to a complete answer. Asked another question, and it appears to be the same process."

Hopefully, this is a sign of more widespread functionality, and the worst is behind us.

Just on the note of Wisconsin, I couldn't not take this opportunity to give a shout out to my favorite basketball player and Milwaukee Bucks legend, Giannis!

Coding assignments in jeopardy

Dean, a grade 11 high school student, says, "I am working on a website coding assignment, and I have been using ChatGPT to help fix up any coding errors that I don't understand, or if I am trying to use a tag that doesn't exist."

"One underrated AI, in my opinion, is AI Overview, I know a lot of people who hate it, because they just want the website, but if I can figure something out, AI overview has given me the answer."

You know, Dean, I really enjoy AI Overviews too, and I think they sometimes get a bad rep for the sake of it. Of course, it's always worth being critical and verifying the information you get from AI, but Google AI Overviews aren't always wrong!

Good luck with your assignment!

Darth Vader is stuck...

Some of you have the best usernames. I don't think I've ever received an email from Darth Vader before, but I guess I have now.

They were installing macOS into a virtual machine, using ChatGPT for guidance. Unfortunately, the AI has been down ever since the DMG file was downloaded, so now they are stuck.

I'm not sure if I can be of too much assistance, Anakin, but TechRadar has some great guides on this subject: How to create a virtual machine in Windows

No ChatGPT? No Problem

You know, there are so many AI chatbots out there that we don't need to solely rely on ChatGPT.

A reader named Jack just reached out with his favorite alternate AI chatbots and I feel compelled to share them:

"Just wanted to say that any chatbot that is independent from the openAI API should still be in full swing, and any issues are unrelated. A few chatbots that should still be working are as follows:"

• Gemini
• Claude
• Github Copilot
• DeepSeek
• Perplexity

There are an endless amount of other AI tools available but I appreciate Jack sending in his personal favorites! What's your lesser known favorite AI tool?

The outpouring shows how much people rely on ChatGPT

You know, I write about AI daily, but I don't think I fully grasped just how much people rely on these newfound tools.

I've been shocked by the amount of emails I've received from college and high school students who use ChatGPT to study, something that would've been unheard of in my day (I'm not that old, but AI evolves fast!)

Koushiki said, "I am Koushiki, a mere high school senior. I had school all day, and works to finish..but can't because of the outage."

Interestingly Koushiki doesn't use ChatGPT to study, but in fact its a way to remain engaged and get some light motivation.

Koushiki, I hope you get ChatGPT back soon!