Yahoo Mail faced a major global outage on July 24, 2025, disrupting services for thousands of users across the US, India, and beyond. Users attempting to access their inboxes were met with a “Temporary Error 15” message, which prevented login and mail retrieval. The outage began around mid-morning and escalated as reports surged above 10,000 incidents, with the service remaining interrupted for several hours.

Simultaneously, AOL Mail, also owned by Yahoo’s parent company, experienced similar disruptions. Many users expressed frustration on social media, sharing that emails would not load or send, and some feared their accounts had been deactivated. Yahoo officially acknowledged the problem, confirming they were aware of the issues and actively investigating the cause, apologizing for the inconvenience caused.

Experts suggest that “Temporary Error 15” typically arises from server-side glitches and usually resolves within hours. However, the scale and duration of this outage appeared more extensive, with some users facing prolonged difficulties. Yahoo advised users not to repeatedly attempt login as it might cause temporary account locks, and to follow official channels for updates.

The outage underscored the dependency on legacy email systems and highlighted the challenges faced by large-scale digital services in maintaining uninterrupted access. Yahoo continues to work on restoring full functionality while monitoring the situation closely for affected users.

OpenAI made headlines worldwide on July 17, 2025, with the launch of its most advanced artificial intelligence product to date: the ChatGPT agent. This new technology represents a groundbreaking evolution in digital assistance, transforming the ChatGPT experience from simple conversation into a sophisticated, autonomous task manager for everyday life and professional work.

The demonstration event showcased how the ChatGPT agent can now independently perform a wide array of complex tasks that previously required significant human effort. For example, the agent can intelligently browse the web, compare products, place online orders, analyze schedules to automatically set up meetings, draft and organize presentations, and even manage travel plans or event logistics—all with minimal input from the user. With the addition of “agent mode,” ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Team subscribers can now activate these features and experience a new level of productivity.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described this launch as a “major leap” toward the vision of a truly intelligent digital partner. “This new agent isn’t just about answering questions—it proactively works for you, anticipating needs and handling tasks end to end. Users can simply describe their goal in natural language, and the agent figures out the steps and executes them,” Altman explained during the live demo.

The ChatGPT agent integrates with external applications like email and calendars, and can tap into services such as Gmail, GitHub, and more, providing personalized help based on individual user preferences. The system is designed to learn and adapt over time, remembering how users communicate and what tasks they prioritize, making its support even more tailored and effective.

Industry experts say the launch is a defining moment in AI’s impact on daily life. Analysts point out that OpenAI’s competitors—including big names like Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce—are racing to offer similar capabilities, but OpenAI’s agent is currently setting the pace for the industry. The hope is that these powerful new tools will make both personal and professional tasks dramatically more efficient—from handling research projects and writing reports, to streamlining email management and automating routine work.

Of course, as with any cutting-edge technology, the ChatGPT agent will continue to improve as real users offer feedback and as OpenAI addresses remaining challenges, such as navigating very complex websites and ensuring safe automation in sensitive workflows. Still, the reception so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with early users praising the agent’s flexibility and its ability to save them hours of work per week.

With the launch of its most ambitious product yet, OpenAI has set a new standard for what’s possible in intelligent digital assistance. By combining advanced reasoning, autonomous action, and seamless adaptation to each user’s needs, the new ChatGPT agent offers a glimpse into the future of how humans and AI will work hand in hand.

Amazon has confirmed another wave of layoffs in its Amazon Web Services division, impacting at least several hundred employees across multiple teams. The cuts, which became widely known after staff received termination notices and lost system access, touched frontline support, training and certification, and the specialist group expected to liaise between customers and internal product units. Although Amazon did not disclose the exact number of job losses, internal messaging channels and emails point to a significant reduction in headcount, particularly among roles that help customers with new product ideas and manage application technologies for stores.

Company officials framed the restructuring as part of a broader strategic review aimed at streamlining operations and reallocating resources toward higher-priority growth areas. This comes at a time when CEO Andy Jassy has openly predicted that generative AI and automation will reshape the corporate workforce, reducing the need for traditional roles even as investment in artificial intelligence ramps up. Despite these statements, Amazon insisted the layoffs within AWS were not solely driven by AI, but rather resulted from shifting strategic priorities and a need to improve efficiency in an increasingly competitive industry.

Affected employees in the U.S. will receive at least 60 days of pay and benefits, along with continued health coverage, eligibility for severance, and placement assistance. Amazon is also attempting to find new internal roles for laid-off staff where possible.

This latest round of AWS job cuts follows a series of ongoing layoffs that have swept through other Amazon divisions since late 2022, including reductions in books, devices, and content units, as well as the elimination of managerial positions to cut excess bureaucracy. Across the wider tech sector, Amazon joins peers like Microsoft, Meta, and Intel in a broad move to restructure workforces as companies adapt to cloud growth, slowing sales, and the integration of AI agents for routine tasks.

With AWS remaining Amazon’s most profitable business unit but experiencing a slowdown in revenue growth, the company is under pressure to balance ongoing innovation with tighter operational discipline. For now, Amazon continues to hire in select strategic areas even as it signals more tough decisions lie ahead for traditional roles within the company.