ChatGPT down again as users hit with 'upstream connect error' and more disruption
ChatGPT users faced another outage on Wednesday as OpenAI's AI chatbot suffered a third disruption in three days, leading to frustration and concerns over service reliability. The issue, identified as an 'upstream connect error,' resulted in increased error rates, login problems, sluggish performance, and error messages for users.
Issues and Impact
Reports on DownDetector indicated a surge in problems around 9 a.m. ET, similar to earlier outages during the week. The timing suggests a possible link to heightened demand during peak hours or an overflow error causing the disruptions. Users encountered messages like "something went wrong" on desktop and "upstream connect error" on mobile.
Company Response and User Feedback
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the challenges, mentioning delays in releases and service disruptions due to capacity issues. Users expressed dissatisfaction with the company's performance, with some opting to switch to alternative solutions like Claude due to ChatGPT's downtime.
One user highlighted the routine nature of the outages, indicating a lack of transparency from the company regarding the causes and expected resolution timeframe. Despite the setbacks, users also shared light-hearted comments, emphasizing the impact of the service disruptions on their daily routines.
Rise in Traffic and Concerns
The recent surge in traffic to ChatGPT was attributed to its new feature allowing users to transform memes and photos into the style of Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki. While this garnered attention and engagement, frequent shutdowns due to the increased demand posed significant concerns.
OpenAI, originally established as a nonprofit with a mission to develop safe AI for public benefit, has evolved into a rapidly growing business. Plans to restructure its corporate setup have been unveiled, with Elon Musk's involvement through his AI startup xAI and a consortium seeking a controlling stake in the for-profit OpenAI subsidiary.
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