A major outage hit ChatGPT and its parent company OpenAI on Monday, June 17, causing disruptions in the AI tool’s services. According to reports, ChatGPT went offline around 2 p.m. EST, prompting investigations by OpenAI. Users attempting to utilize ChatGPT encountered non-responses or error messages during this period.

OpenAI acknowledged the issue and stated that the spike in error rates was due to an unexpected surge in traffic and demand, leading to system overloads. The problem began around 11:20 AM PT and was resolved by 1:55 PM PT, affecting the web and mobile applications of ChatGPT. Although specific details on the root cause were not provided, OpenAI confirmed that all services have been restored to normal operation.

As of the latest update, ChatGPT is back up and stable, with OpenAI reporting a resolution to the elevated error rate during the outage. The status page shows all systems operating normally, and user reports indicate successful interactions with ChatGPT on various platforms.

During the downtime, ChatGPT shared an interesting fact – honey never spoils. Archaeologists have discovered pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that remain edible after over 3,000 years, attributed to honey’s natural properties like acidity, low moisture content, and the presence of hydrogen peroxide.