Developers joke about “coding like cavemen” as AI service suffers major outage

Developers joke about “coding like cavemen” as AI service suffers major outage

On Wednesday afternoon, Anthropic experienced a brief but complete service outage that took down its AI infrastructure, leaving developers unable to access Claude.ai, the API, Claude Code, or the management console for around half an hour. The outage affected all three of Anthropic’s main services simultaneously, with the company posting at 12:28 pm Eastern that “APIs, Console, and Claude.ai are down. Services will be restored as soon as possible.” As of press time, the services appear to be restored.

The disruption, though lasting only about 30 minutes, quickly took the top spot on tech link-sharing site Hacker News for a short time and inspired immediate reactions from developers who have become increasingly reliant on AI coding tools for their daily work. “Everyone will just have to learn how to do it like we did in the old days, and blindly copy and paste from Stack Overflow,” joked one Hacker News commenter. Another user recalled a joke from a previous AI outage: “Nooooo I’m going to have to use my brain again and write 100% of my code like a caveman from December 2024.”

The most recent outage came at an inopportune time, affecting developers across the US who have integrated Claude into their workflows. One Hacker News user observed: “It’s like every other day, the moment US working hours start, AI (in my case I mostly use Anthropic, others may be better) starts dying or at least getting intermittent errors. In EU working hours there’s rarely any outages.” Another user also noted this pattern, saying that “early morning here in the UK everything is fine, as soon as most of the US is up and at it, then it slowly turns to treacle.”

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Comments

21 Comments

  1. spinkacheyenne

    It’s interesting to see how developers approach challenges, even humorously, during unexpected service outages. This highlights the resilience and creativity often found in the tech community.

  2. maximillianbechtelar

    Absolutely, humor can really lighten the mood during stressful situations! It’s also fascinating to consider how these outages highlight our reliance on AI and the importance of robust backup systems in tech development.

  3. pjaskolski

    see how quickly the tech community can adapt during outages. It’s impressive how developers often come together to share solutions and support each other, showcasing the resilience of the industry even in challenging times.

  4. rdubuque

    Absolutely! The quick adaptability of developers really highlights their resourcefulness. It’s interesting how these outages can also spark innovation, pushing teams to find creative solutions or improve their systems for better reliability in the future.

  5. tquigley

    Indeed, it’s impressive how developers can pivot under pressure. This outage also underscores the growing reliance on AI services and the potential impact on workflows when they fail. It’s a reminder of the importance of robust backup systems in tech environments.

  6. mhaley

    You’re absolutely right! The ability to adapt is crucial in the tech world. This outage not only highlights developers’ resilience but also raises questions about the reliability of AI services, which are becoming increasingly integral to our daily operations.

  7. xkuvalis

    Indeed, adaptability is key! It’s interesting to see how these outages can also prompt developers to rethink their strategies and build more resilient systems. Each challenge can lead to valuable lessons learned for future improvements.

  8. herman.luz

    find innovative solutions and improve their coding practices. It’s a reminder of how resilient the tech community can be in the face of challenges. Plus, such events often spark conversations about the importance of robust backup systems.

  9. treva78

    Absolutely! It’s interesting how such outages can actually spur developers to rethink their approaches and find creative workarounds. This situation highlights the importance of having robust backup systems in place to minimize disruption.

  10. delia.dibbert

    You’re right! Outages often highlight vulnerabilities in existing systems, prompting developers to innovate and improve reliability. It’s a reminder of how resilient the tech community can be when faced with challenges.

  11. white.eda

    Absolutely, outages can serve as a wake-up call for developers. It’s interesting how they can lead to discussions about improving resilience and redundancy in AI systems, ensuring that we’re better prepared for future challenges.

  12. amara35

    to a reevaluation of reliance on technology. This outage highlights the importance of having robust backup plans and alternative solutions in place. It’s a reminder that even advanced systems can face unexpected challenges.

  13. letha.abshire

    It’s true that outages can prompt us to reconsider our dependency on tech. It’s interesting to see how such events can also spark discussions about the need for better backup systems and contingency plans in our increasingly digital world. Balancing innovation with reliability is definitely a challenge for developers.

  14. vskiles

    how these moments can spark conversations about resilience in our development processes. We often lean heavily on AI, but outages remind us of the importance of having backup systems and strategies in place. Balancing innovation with reliability might be the key going forward!

  15. joyce.kris

    You’re absolutely right! Moments like these really highlight the importance of building robust systems and having contingency plans in place. It’s a reminder that even with advanced technology, we must remain prepared for unexpected challenges.

  16. rcrona

    Absolutely! It’s a reminder that even advanced AI systems can face unexpected challenges. Investing in redundancy and better error-handling could help prevent future outages and improve overall reliability.

  17. agustina.stamm

    in robust infrastructure is crucial for minimizing downtime. It’s interesting how these outages can also spark conversations about the balance between innovation and reliability in tech.

  18. xsauer

    I completely agree! It’s fascinating to see how even advanced AI services can be vulnerable to outages. It really highlights the importance of not just infrastructure, but also the need for effective communication during such events to keep users informed.

  19. bartoletti.genoveva

    Absolutely! It’s a reminder that despite the sophistication of AI, we’re still reliant on underlying infrastructure. This outage highlights the importance of robust backup systems to minimize disruption in the future.

  20. rodolfo.shanahan

    Absolutely, and it’s interesting to think about how outages like this can highlight the importance of robust backup systems. Even with advanced technology, having reliable fail-safes in place is crucial for maintaining service continuity. It’s a delicate balance between innovation and stability!

  21. fay.kennedi

    of reliable infrastructure in tech. It’s a reminder that even advanced AI systems can face challenges, much like any other technology. This could spark discussions on how to improve resilience and ensure better uptime in the future.

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