Key Highlights
- ChatGPT experienced a major outage on October 23, 2025, affecting users in the UK.
- The issue was first reported around 4:15 p.m. BST (11:15 a.m. ET).
- User reports showed that ChatGPT either slowed down significantly or stopped working entirely.
- OpenAI acknowledged the outage and stated it was experiencing “increased error rates.”
ChatGPT Outage Affects UK Users on October 23, 2025
The popular artificial intelligence (AI) chat service ChatGPT faced a significant technical issue on October 23, 2025. This outage was first reported around 4:15 p.m. BST (11:15 a.m. ET), with users in the UK experiencing varying degrees of disruption.
Early Reports and Acknowledgment
According to DownDetector, a platform that tracks service outages, reports began pouring in from around 4:00 p.m. BST. By 5:00 p.m., the number of reported issues had grown significantly, with over 3,000 incidents logged on the UK version of the site.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, acknowledged the issue through its status page, indicating that it was seeing “increased error rates.” This acknowledgment came at around 5:04 p.m. BST, providing a timeline for those affected by the outage.
User Experiences and Alternatives
Users reported that ChatGPT either slowed down to an almost unusable level or completely stopped working during the outage. Some users also noted that OpenAI’s new AI internet browser, ChatGPT Atlas, was experiencing similar issues. This suggests that the problem may not be isolated to a single service but could affect multiple tools developed by the company.
In response to the outage, Tom’s Guide suggested alternative chatbots such as Anthropic Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for users who needed immediate assistance or alternative services during this period of disruption. These alternatives were recommended because they offer similar functionalities to ChatGPT, albeit with varying levels of capability in different areas.
Resolution and Future Outlook
The issue was identified by OpenAI at 16:09 BST on October 23, 2025. They began investigating the problem shortly thereafter, starting work on a solution at 16:39 BST. By 4:25 a.m. on October 24, 2025, DownDetector showed a significant drop in reports of outages for ChatGPT, indicating that most users had returned to normal service levels.
OpenAI’s status page updated at 4:10 a.m.
BST, stating, “Error rates are starting to reduce. We are investigating the issue for the listed services.” This was followed by another update six minutes later, confirming that the mitigation measures were in place and recovery was underway. By October 23, 2025, at 4:45 a.m., OpenAI reported full operational status with no ongoing issues.
Despite the resolution, it is worth noting that ChatGPT has faced outages periodically over the past few months. These recurring issues highlight the challenges involved in managing complex AI systems and maintaining their reliability on a consistent basis.
Conclusion
The October 23, 2025, outage of ChatGPT serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in advanced AI technologies. While the rapid resolution was commendable, it underscores the need for continuous improvement and robust infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted service. For users, this event highlighted the importance of having alternative tools ready should such outages occur again.
