In a sudden and unexpected turn of events, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the AI chatbot that has taken the world by storm, is experiencing a major global outage. The disruption, which began around 3:17 PM PST on December 11th, 2024, has also affected other OpenAI services, including the newly launched text-to-video AI model, Sora, and the company’s API.
Users attempting to access ChatGPT were met with a message stating, “ChatGPT is currently unavailable,” followed by confirmation that OpenAI is aware of the issue and actively working on a fix. This outage throws a wrench into the workflows of countless individuals and businesses who have integrated ChatGPT into their daily routines.
The cause of the outage remains unclear. While OpenAI has not released any official statement regarding the root cause, speculation abounds. Given ChatGPT’s massive user base, exceeding 200 million weekly active users, it’s a prime target for cyberattacks. Earlier this year, a group called Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for a DDoS attack that coincided with a previous ChatGPT outage. Whether this current disruption is the result of malicious activity or a technical glitch remains to be seen.
OpenAI has assured users that they are working diligently to restore service. In the meantime, millions around the world are left to wait, highlighting our growing dependence on these powerful AI tools. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
