OpenAI experienced a significant outage affecting ChatGPT, Sora, and its developer-facing API on Wednesday, starting around 3pm PT. According to the company’s status updates, services began restoring around 7pm PT, with operations largely back to normal by 9pm PT. OpenAI confirmed the situation on social media, stating, “ChatGPT, API, and Sora were down today but we’ve recovered.”
The cause of the outage remains unclear, though OpenAI indicated that a configuration change had rendered many servers unavailable. During the downtime, users who attempted to access ChatGPT encountered error messages indicating that the service was currently offline but reassuring them that fixes were underway.
Interestingly, this outage coincided with the launch of OpenAI’s integration with Apple in iOS 18.2, which led some users to assume a connection between the two events. However, OpenAI later clarified that the outage was unrelated to the Apple’s launch or the ongoing “12 Days of OpenAI” event. This event, which began earlier that week, featured product launches, including the public debut of Sora and other updates.
Previously, CEO Sam Altman mentioned that the startup was unprepared for the overwhelming demand for Sora, resulting in server capacity issues on launch day. This episode also follows a global service disruption at Meta earlier on the same day.
Despite the challenges faced, the timely recovery of OpenAI’s services reflects the company’s commitment to its users. As they continue to roll out innovative products and integrate with major platforms, it’s hopeful that these growing pains will lead to more stable and efficient services in the future.
In summary, OpenAI’s recent challenges highlight both the complexities of scaling advanced technologies and the company’s proactive approach to addressing issues as they arise, underpinning its commitment to innovation and improvement within the tech space.