ChatGPT Global Outage Affects Thousands—Tired? Try These Alternatives
ChatGPT AI shown on a tablet. Jonathan Kemper/Unsplash

From early Tuesday, 10 June 2025, ChatGPT experienced a widespread outage, affecting thousands of users worldwide. The disruption highlighted how essential this AI tool has become in both personal and professional contexts.

Major Global Disruption Hits Users

According to Downdetector, over 1,300 users reported problems. The Verge reported that the downtime began around 8:00 am and worsened over the following hours.

Downdetector's data revealed that 92% of affected users struggled with the desktop version. Smaller numbers experienced issues with the mobile app (7%) and login errors (1%).

Many users encountered error messages such as:

  • 'Too many concurrent requests.'
  • 'Hmm...something seems to have gone wrong.'
  • 'A network error occurred. Please check your connection and try again. If this persists, contact help.openai.com.'
  • 'Error in message stream.'

The Impact of ChatGPT on Work

Since its launch, ChatGPT has revolutionised organisational workflows. It automates tasks such as drafting emails, creating marketing content, summarising reports, and even coding. Its ability to generate human-like text makes it indispensable for many freelancers and businesses.

The recent outage highlights how dependent organisations have become on AI. It underscores the importance of having backup strategies to avoid significant productivity losses during technical issues.

OpenAI's Response

OpenAI reported on its status page that the platform was experiencing 'elevated errors and latency'. The company confirmed it had identified the root cause and was working to resolve the problem.

The issues were affecting ChatGPT, as well as other OpenAI tools including the Sora text-to-video AI and its APIs.

The company stated: 'We are continuing to investigate this issue.' As of now, the outage affects both the main ChatGPT service and developer-accessible APIs, which are crucial for integrating AI into applications.

Why ChatGPT Is Critical

Since its inception, ChatGPT has transformed how organisations operate. It helps automate routine tasks, draft content, and assist with coding. Its human-like responses make it a vital tool for freelancers, marketers, and customer service teams alike.

The outage demonstrates our reliance on AI tools. It also emphasises the need for contingency plans to maintain productivity during technical failures.

Alternatives to Keep Your Work Moving

While ChatGPT remains the most popular AI chatbot, several other tools can fill the gap when it's offline. Some offer superior features for specific tasks during outages.

Software giant ClickUp tested numerous AI models that can replace ChatGPT when it's down. The company ranked these generative AIs based on the following criteria:

  • Response quality
  • Customisation capability
  • Contextual awareness
  • Security and privacy
  • Integrations
  • AI-powered features
  • Language and industry support
  • Support and community
  • User experience
  • Performance
  • Ethical use

Here are five free AI tools to help you stay productive during ChatGPT downtimes:

  • Google Gemini – Great for generating both images and text.
  • Claude – Known for engaging, human-like conversations and creative responses.
  • Meta AI – Excellent for social media content and visuals.
  • Chatsonic – Specialises in voice interactions and multimedia responses.
  • Writesonic – Ideal for copywriting, marketing, and website content.

For best results, don't rely solely on one. Use Writesonic for web copy and Meta AI for visuals. All these tools offer free versions, making it easy to test and choose the best fit.

Ongoing Updates

This story is still developing. OpenAI continues to investigate the root cause. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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