Search Engines and AI Tools Face Major Outage

On Thursday morning, a significant outage affected several search engines and AI tools, causing disruptions for users across the US. Notable platforms impacted included Bing by Microsoft, DuckDuckGo, Copilot, and ChatGPT's internet search.

Users reported issues as early as 4:45 am ET, with some encountering 429 HTTP code errors. DuckDuckGo and Microsoft's AI Copilot remained inaccessible at 6:30 am ET, while Bing's search functionality had been restored. DuckDuckGo users faced error messages on desktop browsers, prompting the search engine to acknowledge the problem and assure users of a resolution.

The outage coincided with DuckDuckGo's introduction of new features, such as a 'Privacy Pro' subscription option and syncing capabilities. Thousands of DuckDuckGo users and hundreds of Bing users reported problems, with Bing's Copilot Designer AI tool also affected.

OpenAI's ChatGPT experienced challenges as well, with investigations ongoing to address the disruption to its internet search capabilities. This incident compounded previous issues faced by ChatGPT earlier in the week, highlighting the complexities of maintaining AI services.

The outage that impacted search engines and AI tools underscored the reliance of modern technology on seamless connectivity. As companies work to resolve such disruptions promptly, users are reminded of the importance of technological stability and the ongoing advancements in AI-driven services.