On February 3, 2023, ChatGPT experienced a temporary outage that impacted numerous users across the United States. The disruption was notably recorded by Downdetector, a website specializing in monitoring service outages.
Details of the Outage
At approximately 3:20 p.m. ET, users began reporting issues with the AI chatbot, leading to a significant surge in reports. The peak reached over 13,000, a stark increase from the baseline of 19 reports typically observed.
As the situation progressed, the number of outage reports decreased. By 4:00 p.m. ET, the count had fallen to 3,722 reports and dipped below 1,000 shortly thereafter. By 6:30 p.m. ET, fewer than 100 outage reports remained on Downdetector.
Impact on Users
- Date of outage: February 3, 2023
- Peak outage reports: Over 13,000
- Reports at 4:00 p.m. ET: 3,722
- Reports after 6:30 p.m. ET: Fewer than 100
OpenAI addressed the situation on its status page, confirming that they had implemented “necessary mitigations.” By 6:30 p.m. ET, ChatGPT was declared “operational,” signaling the resolution of the issue.
Understanding the Outage Reports
Downdetector collects and aggregates user-submitted outage reports from various sources. This process means the actual number of users affected could vary, as not all issues may be reported.
The brief outage serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by online platforms, regardless of their capabilities. Users depend on consistent access to AI tools like ChatGPT, making timely problem resolution critical.
