ChatGPT Outage Hits Thousands of Users Worldwide, OpenAI Investigates

OpenAI’s ChatGPT experienced a significant outage starting around 3:35 p.m. UTC (10:35 a.m. ET) on April 20, leaving users across the globe unable to access the popular chatbot, according to the company’s official status page.

The problem wasn’t limited to just the chat interface. OpenAI confirmed that users were also unable to load Codex, the company’s AI coding assistant, and the API Platform that many businesses rely on to power their own applications.

According to OpenAI’s status updates, the company first began investigating the issue at 10:35 a.m. ET. “We are investigating the issue for the listed services. Impacted users are currently unable to access ChatGPT, Codex and API Platform,” the company stated.

Data from Downdetector showed a sharp spike in complaints as the disruption unfolded. Reports climbed from a few hundred to several thousand within hours, with some estimates exceeding 8,000 at peak. Many users reported being unable to log in, load chats, or access ongoing projects. Others encountered blank screens, error messages, or unresponsive interfaces.

The outage was not limited to one region. Reports surfaced across the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and parts of Europe, with some areas hit harder than others. Interestingly, the disruption appeared uneven. While some users regained access relatively quickly, others continued to experience failures, suggesting a staggered recovery.

Investigation and recovery

OpenAI initially labeled the problem as “degraded performance” before upgrading it to a partial outage as reports increased. The company said it was actively investigating before deploying mitigation measures.

Earlier in the incident, OpenAI wrote: “We are investigating the issue for the listed services.” As the day progressed, outage reports began to decline, and some users reported restored access. OpenAI maintained that recovery efforts were ongoing and continued to monitor the situation.

The reality check

This isn’t the first time the AI leader has stumbled.

Before the major outage on Monday, OpenAI had to fix a separate issue in which Business users couldn’t add new seats to their accounts. While other platforms like Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude saw minor traffic spikes during the ChatGPT blackout, most remained stable, offering a temporary refuge for displaced users.

As services stabilize, the outage serves as a reminder of just how much we’ve woven these tools into our daily lives. When the AI goes down, the human workflow often goes with it.

Also read: For a lighter AI twist, check out how ChatGPT is helping users generate polished, professional headshots with simple portrait prompts.