OpenAI experienced a significant outage affecting ChatGPT, its developer API, and the Sora platform on Wednesday, beginning around 3 PM PT. The company reported that services were largely restored by 9 PM PT on the same day.
In a tweet, OpenAI confirmed, “ChatGPT, API, and Sora were down today but we’ve recovered.” Initially, users encountered error messages indicating that ChatGPT was unavailable, with the company working diligently to resolve the issue. By around 7 PM PT, a gradual restoration of services had begun.
The outage coincided with the launch of OpenAI’s integration with Apple in iOS 18.2, leading some users to speculate about a potential connection. However, OpenAI’s developer community lead, Edwin Arbus, clarified that the outage was caused by a configuration change, which inadvertently made many servers unavailable. This technical hiccup occurred on a day when OpenAI had also publicly launched Sora, a platform for video generation, but many users faced difficulties accessing the service due to server capacity issues.
Additionally, OpenAI’s outage followed a separate service interruption for Meta’s products, highlighting a greater trend of technical challenges faced by large tech platforms. This incident falls on the fifth day of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI” event, during which the company has been unveiling new products and updates leading up to the holiday season.
Despite the challenges, OpenAI has been actively addressing the situation and has made considerable progress in restoring services. This reflects the company’s commitment to maintaining user support and improving its platforms amid increased interest and usage.
This recent setback provides an opportunity for OpenAI to enhance its infrastructure and better prepare for future demand, ultimately leading to a more robust experience for users.
In summary, while OpenAI experienced a temporary technical setback, the swift recovery efforts demonstrate the resilience and adaptability of the company. As they continue to roll out new products and features, this experience could serve as a valuable learning moment to bolster their systems for the future.