On June 10, 2025, OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, experienced a significant global outage, leaving thousands of users across multiple continents unable to access the service. India and the United States reported the highest number of disruptions, with users encountering error messages and connectivity issues. This article dives into the details of the outage, its impact, and what OpenAI is doing to address it.
What Happened During the ChatGPT Outage?
The outage began around 2:45 PM IST, affecting ChatGPT’s web platform, mobile app, APIs, and OpenAI’s text-to-video tool, Sora. Users reported error messages such as “Hmm… something seems to have gone wrong” and “A network error occurred. Please check your connection and try again.” According to Downdetector, a real-time outage tracking platform, over 800 complaints were logged in India by 3:00 PM IST, with the US reporting nearly 1,100 issues. The UK and other regions also faced disruptions, highlighting the global scale of the issue.
The outage impacted both free-tier users and paid subscribers, disrupting workflows for students, developers, businesses, and individuals relying on ChatGPT for tasks ranging from homework assistance to coding and content creation. Social media platforms, particularly X, saw a surge in user complaints, memes, and discussions about the growing dependence on AI tools.
Why Did the ChatGPT Outage Occur?
OpenAI has not yet disclosed the exact cause of the outage, but the company acknowledged the issue on its official status page, stating, “Some users are experiencing elevated error rates and latency across the listed services. We are continuing to investigate this issue.” Reports suggest that the outage affected ChatGPT’s core functionality, with 88% of Indian users reporting issues with the chatbot, 9% facing mobile app problems, and 3% encountering API-related errors.
This isn’t the first time ChatGPT has faced disruptions in 2025. Earlier outages in January and March highlighted challenges in maintaining reliable service for a platform with millions of users, including 3 million paying business users. Some speculate that the increasing demand on OpenAI’s servers, coupled with the integration of advanced features like GPT-4o and Apple Intelligence, may be straining infrastructure.
Impact on Users in India and the US
India and the US emerged as the most affected regions, with thousands of users reporting issues. In India, Downdetector recorded over 4,740 complaints, with 93% related to ChatGPT’s core functionality. Users expressed frustration over error messages like “Something went wrong while generating the response,” which halted productivity. In the US, similar sentiments were echoed, with users turning to alternative AI tools like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Anthropic’s Claude to fill the gap.
The outage sparked a flurry of activity on X, where users shared memes and voiced concerns about over-reliance on AI. One user humorously remarked, “ChatGPT is down, which means I actually have to type out my own emails at work. Send prayers.” Another post questioned, “Should we be concerned that we’re becoming too dependent on closed-source AI?”
OpenAI’s Response and Next Steps
OpenAI has confirmed it is actively investigating the outage and has identified the “root cause” of the issue, though no specific timeline for full recovery has been provided. By 3:45 PM IST, Downdetector reports began declining, suggesting partial service restoration in some regions. The company encourages users to monitor its status page for real-time updates.
This incident underscores the challenges of scaling AI infrastructure to meet global demand. OpenAI, valued at $300 billion and aiming for 1 billion ChatGPT users by the end of 2025, faces increasing pressure to ensure service reliability. Previous outages, including a 2023 DDoS attack linked to Russian hackers, have highlighted vulnerabilities in AI platforms.
What Can Users Do During a ChatGPT Outage?
If you’re affected by the ChatGPT outage, here are some steps to stay productive:
- Check OpenAI’s Status Page: Visit OpenAI’s official status page for real-time updates on service restoration.
- Explore Alternatives: AI chatbots like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, or Anthropic’s Claude can serve as temporary replacements.
- Engage Offline: Use this time to tackle tasks that don’t require AI assistance or explore manual solutions.
- Stay Informed: Follow OpenAI’s official channels or platforms like X for updates from other users.
The Bigger Picture: AI Dependency and Reliability
The global outage has sparked conversations about society’s growing reliance on AI tools. From students to businesses, ChatGPT has become integral to daily workflows, making disruptions particularly impactful. As one user on X noted, “The despair we’re all feeling right now with a lack of ChatGPT is genuinely something to behold.”
This event also highlights the need for robust infrastructure to support AI’s rapid adoption. With OpenAI projecting $12.7 billion in revenue for 2025, ensuring uptime and scalability will be critical to maintaining user trust.