A massive Microsoft outage is impacting Bing, Copilot, ChatGPT, and DuckDuckGo
Massive Microsoft Outage Hits Bing, ChatGPT: What's Next?
A significant Microsoft outage has affected services like Bing, Copilot, ChatGPT, and DuckDuckGo. Users reported issues with Bing's search engine and disruptions in using Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot and ChatGPT's internet search capabilities. DuckDuckGo, which relies on Bing's API, also experienced problems with search functionalities.
Microsoft acknowledged the Copilot service disruption and is investigating the cause, while OpenAI noted the impact on ChatGPT's internet search on its status page. The extent of the outage and its resolution timeline remain unclear, with no immediate response from Microsoft, OpenAI, or DuckDuckGo to inquiries about the incident.
How is DuckDuckGo connected to Microsoft, and why was it affected by the outage?
DuckDuckGo, a private search engine, is not owned by Microsoft but is significantly impacted by disruptions in Microsoft's services because it utilizes the Bing API. This API (Application Programming Interface) is a critical component that allows DuckDuckGo to access search results provided by Bing2. When Microsoft's Bing experienced an outage, it directly affected DuckDuckGo's ability to function properly, as the outage hindered its access to the Bing API. This resulted in DuckDuckGo's inability to load search results for its users, demonstrating the dependency of DuckDuckGo on Microsoft's infrastructure for delivering its search services3.
What has Microsoft stated regarding the cause of the Copilot outage?
Microsoft has not provided a specific cause for the Copilot outage. In a post on X, Microsoft only mentioned that they are "working to isolate the cause of the issue." The company has not provided further details or information on when the services would be restored.