ChatGPT Work experienced a partial outage on August 31 that prevented some users from starting or continuing tasks across multiple subscription plans.
OpenAI first reported elevated latency at 11:04 AM ET before identifying elevated errors shortly afterward. Plus subscribers were particularly affected, with Work mode unavailable for some users during the incident.
OpenAI applied a mitigation at 4:01 PM ET and confirmed that all impacted services had fully recovered by 4:28 PM ET.
Why It Matters: ChatGPT Work is designed for persistent, task-oriented workflows, so an outage can interrupt active work rather than simply delay individual prompts. The incident affected multiple subscription tiers and temporarily removed access to Work mode for some Plus users.
- The Outage Began Late Monday Morning: OpenAI first reported elevated latency affecting ChatGPT Work at approximately 11:04 AM ET on August 31. By 11:21 AM, the company had identified elevated errors and said it was working on a mitigation.
- Multiple Subscription Plans Were Affected: By 12:02 PM, OpenAI confirmed that users across multiple subscription plans could be unable to start or continue tasks. The company did not disclose how many users or subscription tiers were affected.
- Plus Users Were Particularly Impacted: OpenAI specifically identified Plus subscribers as particularly affected early in the incident, with Work mode unavailable for some users.
- OpenAI Applied a Mitigation: At 4:01 PM ET, OpenAI said it had applied a mitigation and was monitoring the recovery of affected services.
- All Impacted Services Fully Recovered: At 4:28 PM ET, OpenAI marked the incident as resolved and said all impacted services had fully recovered.
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