ChatGPT Outage Leaves Users Worldwide in the Lurch
OpenAI acknowledged an unexpected outage affecting ChatGPT and related services, leaving users across multiple regions unable to access the platform or receive responses. The disruption, which emerged late on 10 June 2025, triggered a surge in user complaints and widespread concern over the reliability of the generative‑AI tool.
Disruption began unfolding as error messages such as 'Hmm… something seems to have gone wrong' and 'A network error occurred. Please check your connection and try again' started appearing for users in India, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others. Outage‑tracking site DownDetector recorded early reports around 2:45 PM IST, peaking near 3 PM with more than 1,100 complaints from India, 1,450 from the UK and nearly 900 from the US.
OpenAI quickly responded, stating on its status page that 'some users are experiencing elevated error rates and latency across the listed services ' and that investigation and recovery efforts had begun. The company did not provide details on the outage's root cause or an estimated time for full restoration.
ADVERTISEMENT
The interruption extended beyond ChatGPT to include the image‑to‑video AI tool Sora and APIs, affecting developers and enterprise users. While some users maintained partial access, others experienced complete failure of both web and mobile app functionalities. In India, approximately 88–93 percent of reports concerned ChatGPT itself, with a smaller share pointing to app or API issues.
The global scale of disruption reignited fears surrounding over‑dependence on AI platforms. With millions relying on ChatGPT for writing, research, coding and professional workload management, even a brief outage can cause significant interruptions. A climate of frustration swiftly spread online, with platforms like X hosting a frenzy of memes and jokes about having to 'use [their] brain' again.
Industry experts speculated that the outage might stem from server overload due to sudden traffic spikes, a software update misconfiguration, or less likely, external interference. However, there has been no indication of a cybersecurity breach. Historical patterns show ChatGPT has endured similar interruptions earlier in 2025, but most disruptions were resolved within hours.
For users encountering errors, OpenAI's official guidance recommends avoiding excessive session refreshes and monitoring the status page for updates. Some professionals pivoted to alternative platforms during downtime, exploring services such as Google's Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, Perplexity AI and You.com to maintain productivity.
Despite the inconvenience, certain mobile users report that ChatGPT's iOS and Android apps remained partially functional, while the primary web client was disrupted. This differentiation may point to a backend issue affecting cloud‑based web services rather than complete system failure.
The outage sparked renewed debate among analysts about the resilience of AI deployments in critical applications such as education, journalism, healthcare, and corporate communication. As the technology matures, expectations for unwavering availability grow, underscoring the importance of robust infrastructure and contingency planning.
OpenAI continues to work on full restoration and plans to update users as they uncover the underlying factors. The incident serves as a stark reminder of how deeply integrated AI platforms like ChatGPT have become in daily and professional spheres—and how vulnerable those systems may be to sudden disruption.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arabian Business
2 hours ago
- Arabian Business
Analysis: UAE's massive AI investment could redefine its economic future
The United Arab Emirates is betting heavily on artificial intelligence as part of a sweeping economic transformation plan, signing multibillion-dollar technology deals and launching a landmark AI partnership with the United States amid growing global uncertainty. and a broader $1.4 trillion investment commitment over the next decade, underscoring the UAE's intent to anchor its non-oil economy in advanced technologies, including AI, semiconductors and cloud computing. Central to the initiative is the newly announced US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure. As part of the effort, the UAE secured a deal to import up to 500,000 Nvidia H100 chips annually, a cornerstone component in generative AI systems. 'Bilateral trade talks focused on artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, and semiconductors, culminating in the launch of the US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership,' said Vijay Valecha, Chief Investment Officer at Century Financial. The Gulf nation also plans to invest in major U.S. AI firms including OpenAI and xAI, while Abu Dhabi-based Group 42 will build a 5-gigawatt AI data centre, set to become the largest of its kind outside the United States. Diversification drive The AI push forms part of a broader strategy to diversify the UAE economy away from hydrocarbons. Non-oil sectors accounted for 75 per cent of GDP in the first nine months of 2024, according to the UAE Ministry of Economy, with the non-oil economy expanding 4.5 per cent, outpacing overall GDP growth of 3.8 per cent. 'The UAE's projected 4.5 per cent growth in 2025 stands in sharp contrast to a global outlook marked by mounting risks and downward revisions,' Osama Al Saifi, Managing Director for MENA at Traze, told Arabian Business. 'This divergence is largely explained by the UAE's strong performance in non-oil sectors, supported by expansion in tourism, transport, construction, and financial services, as well as sustained momentum in foreign direct investment and trade.' The International Monetary Fund expects the UAE's economy to grow by 4 per cent in 2025 and 5 per cent in 2026, making it the fastest-growing economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council. In contrast, global trade growth is forecast to slow to 1.7 per cent this year, with a possible recession in the U.S. or Europe still looming, according to analysts at JPMorgan and Fitch. Hedge against external shocks The timing of the UAE's AI investment spree coincides with a deteriorating global economic outlook. While a potential recession in major Western economies would weigh on oil demand and trade, analysts say the UAE is better positioned than most to weather external shocks. 'The region is better equipped than in previous cycles, though not entirely shielded,' Al Saifi said. 'A recession in the U.S. or Europe would likely exert downward pressure on global oil demand and weigh on fiscal performance. Nevertheless, substantial sovereign wealth assets, contained inflation, and firm domestic demand provide a degree of protection.' The UAE's inflation rate is expected to remain stable at around 2 per cent in 2025, with consumer spending forecast to expand 4.3 per cent, supported by easing interest rates and robust domestic demand, Al Saifi added. 'A mild recession in the U.S. and parts of Europe during the second half of the year is increasingly likely, as the delayed effects of tight monetary policy, persistent inflation, and weakening manufacturing data converge,' Hamza Dweik, Head of Trading at Saxo Bank MENA, told Arabian Business. 'However, the UAE's strong macroeconomic fundamentals, active IPO pipeline, and diversified revenue streams position it as a relative safe haven in the global landscape.' Despite global volatility, UAE financial markets have shown resilience. Dubai F inancial Market (DFM) welcomed 19,366 new investors in Q1 2025, of whom 86 per cent were foreign nationals. Trading activity surged, with average daily trading value reaching AED 663 million, up 67 per cent year-on-year, according to Century Financial. UAE equity valuations also remain below historical averages. The DFMGI index trades at a trailing P/E of 9.5x, about 16.5 per cent below its five-year average, while the ADSMI index is down 16.3 per cent from its historical norm. 'The indices appear undervalued considering the UAE's solid fundamentals and growth trajectory,' said Valecha. 'With over 74 per cent of GDP coming from non-oil sectors closely linked to market performance, equity markets deserve a better valuation.' Strategic positioning The UAE's AI ambitions are not solely economic. Investments in U.S. data infrastructure, semiconductor supply chains, and critical mineral projects are helping strengthen bilateral strategic ties. Abu Dhabi's $25 billion partnership with Energy Capital Partners, and a $60 billion energy cooperation framework with ExxonMobil and Occidental Petroleum, indicate a multipronged strategy that blends AI leadership with industrial leverage. 'Technology will be central to the UAE's next growth cycle – AI, green innovation, digital finance – these are the sectors that will help insulate the economy from external volatility,' Al Saifi said. PwC estimates the AI sector could contribute over $320 billion to the Middle East economy by 2030, with the UAE positioned to capture the lion's share through early infrastructure deployment, regulatory reform and foreign investment attraction. 'Sectors with strong global linkages – such as logistics, real estate (particularly off-plan investment-driven projects), and non-oil exports like aluminum and petrochemicals – are most vulnerable to a potential U.S. recession,' Dweik said. He added that sectors like tourism, hospitality, and sovereign-backed infrastructure projects are expected to remain resilient, supported by 'robust domestic demand and long-term strategic initiatives.' 'The projected non-oil GDP growth of 4.6 per cent in 2025 indicates the ongoing success of diversification and structural reform initiatives,' Valecha added. Dweik echoed his sentiment, adding that diversification remains essential in the current economic environment. 'Investors should consider blending traditional and alternative assets, such as sukuk, infrastructure, and private equity, while also diversifying geographically… Allocating capital across resilient sectors like healthcare, technology, and tourism will help regional investors navigate uncertainty.'
Zawya
6 hours ago
- Zawya
Cryptocurrency firm Bullish confidentially files for US IPO, FT reports
Peter Thiel-backed crypto exchange Bullish has confidentially filed for an IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in recent weeks, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. A unit of blockchain software company Bullish had attempted to go public through a special purpose acquisition company deal in 2021 but that fell through in 2022 amid a regulatory crackdown and a sudden rise in interest rates that rattled the equities market. The Trump administration, in contrast to predecessor Joe Biden's, has taken a softer stance on crypto regulation and backed the industry's policy priorities, with the SEC dropping several investigations. Bullish is seeking to capitalise on renewed investor interest in digital assets under the current administration, the FT said. Bullish did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters could not immediately verify the FT report. The company's reported filing follows that of Gemini's, a crypto exchange run by billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, which last week disclosed it had confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering.
Al Etihad
16 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Meta creating new AI lab to pursue ‘superintelligence'
10 June 2025 23:12 SAN FRANCISCO (THE NEW YORK TIMES NEW SERVICE)Meta is preparing to unveil a new artificial intelligence research lab dedicated to pursuing "superintelligence,' a hypothetical AI system that exceeds the powers of the human brain, as the tech giant jockeys to stay competitive in the technology has tapped Alexandr Wang, 28, the founder and CEO of AI startup Scale AI, to join the new lab, sources said, and has been in talks to invest billions of dollars in his company as part of a deal that would also bring other Scale AI employees to the has reportedly offered seven- to nine-figure compensation packages to dozens of researchers from leading AI companies such as OpenAI and Google, with some agreeing to join, sources new lab is part of a larger reorganisation of Meta's AI Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, has invested billions of dollars into turning his company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, into an AI OpenAI released the ChatGPT chatbot in 2022, the tech industry has raced to build increasingly powerful AI. Zuckerberg has pushed his company to incorporate AI across its products, including in its smart glasses and a recently released app, Meta in the race is crucial for Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft, with the technology likely to be the future for the industry. The giants have pumped money into startups and their own AI has invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI, while Amazon has plowed $8 billion into AI startup behemoths have also spent billions to hire employees from high-profile startups and license their technology. Last year, Google agreed to pay $3 billion to license technology and hire technologists and executives from a startup that builds chatbots for personal February, Zuckerberg, 41, called AI "potentially one of the most important innovations in history.' He added, "This year is going to set the course for the future.'Meta and Scale AI declined to comment. Bloomberg earlier reported that Wang was joining the new Meta is regarded by leading researchers to be a futuristic goal of AI Google and others have said their immediate aim is to build "artificial general intelligence,' or AGI, shorthand for a machine that can do anything the human brain can do, which is an ambition with no clear path to success. Superintelligence, if it can be developed, would go beyond AGI in its has invested in AI for more than a decade. Zuckerberg created the company's first dedicated AI lab in 2013, after losing out to Google in trying to acquire a seminal startup called DeepMind. DeepMind is now the core of Google's AI then, Meta's research efforts have been overseen by its chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, who is also a New York University professor. LeCun is a pioneer of neural networks, the technology that drives ChatGPT and similar ChatGPT caused an explosion of interest in AI, Meta deployed additional resources to pursue the technology. One of Meta's strategies for gaining ground in AI has been to "open source' its software, essentially giving away its AI code freely so that developers and others adopt its tools. The company released an open-source AI model, Llama, and its chatbot product, Meta AI was incorporated across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as in its Ray-Ban smart glasses. In May, Zuckerberg said more than 1 billion people used Meta AI every month.
