Thousands of users have reported being unable to access ChatGPT, the popular AI tool developed by OpenAI, on Thursday. Downdetector, a platform that tracks website disruptions, revealed that over 10,000 users in the UK alone flagged issues with the chatbot, which is widely recognized as one of the leading artificial intelligence tools globally.
Users trying to access the service encountered a “bad gateway error” message, with many taking to social media to express frustration over the disruption. The problem first emerged around 11:00 GMT on Thursday, and it has continued throughout the day, with many still unable to use the service.
The outage has sparked widespread concern, particularly among those who rely on ChatGPT for work, research, and personal use. Despite the large number of users affected, OpenAI has yet to provide an official statement regarding the nature of the outage or when it might be resolved. The BBC has reached out to the company for a comment but has yet to receive a response.
According to ChatGPT’s status page, the issue is linked to “elevated error rates,” and OpenAI has confirmed it is actively investigating the matter. The company has not provided any additional details about the cause of the disruption.
ChatGPT is known for being one of the most widely used AI tools, with more than 300 million users around the world, as reported by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in December. While the chatbot offers a free version, users can also subscribe to premium memberships that can cost up to $200 per month, depending on the tier selected. The ongoing outage is particularly impactful for paying users who rely on the service for advanced features.
This outage comes at a time when AI infrastructure investment is a hot topic in the tech industry. Recently, OpenAI and other tech giants committed to a $500 billion ($405 billion) investment into AI infrastructure in the United States, signaling their continued focus on the growth and expansion of artificial intelligence technologies.
As of now, it remains unclear when the issue will be resolved, and OpenAI’s communication about the incident has been minimal. Users continue to experience difficulties accessing the chatbot, and many are awaiting further updates from the company.
