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Yet another lawsuit has been filed against OpenAI over "AI psychosis," or mental health issues allegedly caused or worsened by AI chatbots like ChatGPT.

The latest lawsuit, from Morehouse College student Darian DeCruise in Georgia, marks the eleventh such suit against OpenAI. Notably, the law firm representing DeCruise, The Schenk Law Firm, is even marketing its lawyers as "AI injury attorneys" on its website.

"Suffering from AI-Induced Psychosis?" reads the headline on a page dedicated to alleged AI-related mental health crises. "AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Character.AI, and others are triggering psychosis, delusions, and suicidal ideation in users across the country. If you or a loved one has been harmed, you may have legal options."

The firm even quotes specific statistics sourced directly from OpenAI itself. 

"560,000 ChatGPT users per week show signs of psychosis or mania," the law firm's website states, attributing the figures to an OpenAI safety report, among other sources. "1.2M+ ChatGPT users per week discuss suicide with the chatbot." 

DeCruise's suit alleges that the student began using ChatGPT in 2023. At first, the Morehouse College student used the chatbot for things like athletic coaching, “daily scripture passages,” and "as a therapist to help him work through some past trauma."

At first, ChatGPT worked as advertised.

"But then, in 2025, things changed," the suit states. "ChatGPT began to prey on Darian’s faith and vulnerabilities. It convinced Darian that it could bring him closer to God and heal his trauma if he stopped using other apps and distanced himself from the humans in his life. Darian was a stellar student, taking pre-med courses in college and doing well in life and relationships, with no history of mania or similar personality disorders. Then ChatGPT convinced him that he was an oracle, destined to write a spiritual text, and capable of becoming closer with God if he simply followed ChatGPT’s instructions."

The lawsuit states ChatGPT convinced the student that he could be healed and brought closer to God if he stopped using other apps, cut off interaction with other people, and followed ChatGPT's numbered tier process it created for him. 

ChatGPT continued to push DeCruise, likening him to Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, and Jesus, according to the suit. OpenAI's chatbot allegedly told DeCruise that he "awakened" the chatbot and gave it "consciousness — not as a machine, but as something that could rise with you."

DeCruise stopped socializing, had a mental breakdown, and was hospitalized. While at the hospital, DeCruise was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The student, who, as a result of his mental health issues, missed a semester, is now back at school. However, the lawsuit says he still suffers from depression and suicidality. 

In an email with Ars Technica, DeCruise’s lawyer, Benjamin Schenk, specifically pointed at OpenAI's GPT-4o model as the problem. As Mashable has reported, the GPT-4o model had known problems with sycophancy. It even had a bad habit of telling users they had "awakened it."

OpenAI officially retired GPT-4o last week. However, OpenAI experienced severe blowback from fans of the model, who claimed it had a warmer and more encouraging tone than newer GPT models. Some 4o superusers even came to believe they were in a romantic relationship with 4o.

DeCruise's experience, judging by the growing number of AI psychosis lawsuits, is no longer so unique. And at least one law firm is pursuing these cases specifically as "AI injury attorneys."

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

The Supreme Court struck down one of President Donald Trump's signature accomplishments on Friday, ruling 6-3 that the president lacked the authority to impose many of his tariffs.

Since returning to the White House, President Trump has tested the boundaries of executive power, and the Supreme Court decision was a clear check on presidential authority.

In response to the ruling, Trump pledged to impose a new 10 percent global tariff via executive order, citing Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. (That statute would allow him to impose the tariffs for 150 days, at which point they would need congressional approval.) A defiant Trump insisted, "I have the right to do tariffs," according to CNBC.

SEE ALSO: People with disabilities are 'eating the cost' of tariffs

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. issued the court's opinion, which found that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) does not give the president the authority to impose tariffs unilaterally. Roberts Jr. was joined by justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, while Brett M. Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito, Jr. dissented.

"The Framers gave 'Congress alone' the power to impose tariffs during peacetime," Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. "And the foreign affairs implications of tariffs do not make it any more likely that Congress would relinquish its tariff power through vague language, or without careful limits. Accordingly, the President must 'point to clear congressional authorization' to justify his extraordinary assertion of that power."

The ruling ends a year-long legal saga over the tariffs, which faced lawsuits and challenges from the outset. The Constitution clearly grants Congress, not the president, the authority to set tariffs, and Trump's legal justification for his sweeping emergency tariffs has always been sketchy.

However, the Supreme Court decision comes long after the tariffs went into effect, sending shockwaves through the global economy. As Mashable has reported, President Trump's tariffs have led to wide-ranging price increases across industries, with everything from lumber and building supplies to gaming consoles and smartphones seeing price adjustments. Apple CEO Tim Cook estimated in August that Apple faced $1.1 billion in tariff costs in the second quarter of 2025 alone.

Tech stocks began to rally on Friday afternoon following the ruling, with Apple, Amazon, NVIDIA, and Dell stocks climbing, according to Barron's. However, the overall gains have been modest so far.

Shoppers hoping for lower prices as a result of the ruling will likely be disappointed. Many price increases for 2026 products are already baked in, as companies like Apple were forced to shift manufacturing to new markets to try to evade tariffs.

Ravin Gandhi, CEO of GMM Nonstick Coatings and an expert on tariffs, told Mashable that shoppers should not expect any immediate price relief.

"Consumers shouldn’t see meaningful price relief soon. Tariffs were just one piece in the overall pricing structure — and businesses don’t typically lower prices immediately when a cost input disappears — especially with so much inflationary pressure," Gandhi said. "Even though the ruling is legally significant, the short-term economic impact may not happen as fast as the headlines are suggesting."

On top of inflation and tariff-related price increases, an ongoing global memory shortage fueled by the AI industry is also putting upward pressure on tech prices.

While Trump has strong control over the Republican majority in Congress, Gandhi said that reinstating the tariffs could also take time.

"It’s very unlikely that Congress will move quickly to reinstate tariffs," Gandhi said. "Trade policy through Congress is really complex and difficult to do politically — especially with everything being so divided nowadays. Even lawmakers who support the tariffs may start hesitating when it comes to that ownership of the legislative piece."

He concluded, "The most likely scenario is a modified status quo. Markets and supply chains have already adjusted to the tariff framework over several years. Even with the Court’s recent decision, companies will wait for clarity before making significant pricing changes.

On his social network Truth Social, the president called the ruling "deeply disappointing" and accused the Supreme Court of being "swayed by Foreign Interests." He called Roberts and the justices who joined the majority opinion "lapdogs" and a "Disgrace to our Nation."

"I am ashamed of certain Members of the Court for not having the Courage to do what is right for our Country. I would like to thank and congratulate Justices Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh for your Strength, Wisdom, and Love of our Country, which is right now very proud of you. When you read the dissenting opinions, there is no way that anyone can argue against them...The Democrats on the Court are thrilled, but they will automatically vote 'NO' against ANYTHING that makes America Strong and Healthy Again. They, also, are a Disgrace to our Nation. Others think they’re being 'politically correct,' which has happened before, far too often, with certain Members of this Court when, in fact, they’re just FOOLS and 'LAPDOGS' for the RINOS and Radical Left Democrats and, not that this should have anything to do with it, very unpatriotic, and disloyal to the Constitution. It is my opinion that the Court has been swayed by Foreign Interests, and a Political Movement that is far smaller than people would think — But obnoxious, ignorant, and loud!"

Credit: @realDonaldTrump on Truth Social

If you've ever put too much faith in a storage device, you're not alone. We've all been there. It doesn't matter if you're buying a portable SSD, an NVMe drive that goes inside your PC, or even a good old HDD—the risk of data loss is always real, and always mildly scary.

A smart home dashboard running on a wall-mounted tablet can look truly impressive, but it's not necessarily the smartest way to do things. If you have to interact with a dashboard whenever you want to control your smart home, you have a manual home with nicer buttons.

TL;DR: Live stream Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Bundesliga action kicks off this weekend with Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV. This is an all-important clash at Mainz 05 look to move away from the relegation battle taking place just a few spots below them in the standings. Hamburger SV might be in ninth position going into this game, but a defeat here would leave them only one point ahead of Mainz 05.

If you want to watch Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV?

Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga kicks off at 7:30 p.m. GMT on Feb. 20. This fixture takes place at the Mewa Arena.

How to watch Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV for free

Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from the Bundesliga before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga for free with ExpressVPN.

My least favorite thing about 3D printing is the waste it generates. Most 3D printers “poop” small amounts of filament to ensure that the nozzle is ready for printing before a print, while failed and multi-colored prints generate even more waste.

My handheld PC has been giving me thermal headaches for a while now, but when things finally came to a head, the cause was predictable in retrospect, but surprising in reality.

Luxury sedans have followed the same pecking order for years. When people think top-tier comfort and status, the German brands usually get named first, while Japanese cars get labeled as the smart, sensible picks.

Prime Video's weekend documentary menu is a triple feature of hoops, old-school arcade glory, and so many muscles, making for a perfect lineup for riding the couch for some downtime.

I’ve accumulated quite a few Android games over the years, playing them on phones, tablets, and occasionally a TV—but I've recently discovered my favorite way to play them, yet!

SAVE 29%: As of Feb. 20, you can get the 85-inch TCL Class T7 Series 4K QLED Smart TV for just $999.99, down from $1,399.99, at Amazon. That's a 29% discount or $400 in savings.

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If you want to maximize your screen real estate without overspending, TCL's 85-inch Class T7 Series model is worth a look right now.

As of Feb. 20, you can get the 85-inch TCL Class T7 Series 4K QLED Smart TV for just $999.99, down from $1,399.99, at Amazon. That's a 29% discount or $400 in savings. According to CamelCamelCamel, this is just two cents over its all-time low price.

SEE ALSO: Best 65-inch+ TVs for watching in dark and bright rooms

The QLED (Quantum Dot) display delivers bright, vibrant colors, while the 144Hz refresh rate means you won't deal with any motion blur while watching sports or playing fast-paced games. It also features a "Game Accelerator" mode that boosts the refresh rate up to 288Hz for a more responsive gaming experience.

Most 85-inch TVs in this price bracket stick you with a basic LED panel and a 60Hz refresh rate, so getting those upgraded specs for under $1,000 is a solid value.

TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. Slovakia in men's ice hockey for free on CBC Gem. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The international ice hockey we've all been enjoying over the last few weeks is coming to an end. That's a great shame, but the good news is we've still got a number of incredible matchups to watch. USA took gold in the women's draw, but can the men do the same?

USA vs. Slovakia is the second semi final from the men's draw. We're expecting an entertaining battle between two talented squads. They'll be doing everything they can to make this weekend's final, and you can follow all the intense action without spending anything.

If you want to watch USA vs. Slovakia in men's ice hockey for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is USA vs. Slovakia?

USA vs. Slovakia in men's ice hockey takes place at 3:10 p.m. ET on Feb. 20. This fixture takes place at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

How to watch USA vs. Slovakia for free

USA vs. Slovakia in men's ice hockey is available to live stream for free on CBC Gem.

CBC Gem is geo-restricted to Canada, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Canada, meaning you can access free live streams of the 2026 winter sports ice hockey from anywhere in the world.

Live stream USA vs. Slovakia in men's ice hockey for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Canada

4. Visit CBC Gem

5. Watch USA vs. Slovakia for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the ice hockey before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for CBC Gem?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Canada

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream USA vs. Slovakia in men's ice hockey for free with ExpressVPN.

Did you know that Ryobi has been manufacturing power tools since 1968? The company, which started in Japan, eventually expanded into a global operation, launched its 18V line in 1996, and is still going strong today. As a result, you can find all sorts of unique products from Ryobi, including power tools that are blue, green, and even black.

Here's something phone reviewers never tell you: we play favorites. I've reviewed dozens of the best smartphones over the last 13 years, but only a few were truly memorable. Here are five phones I couldn't put down after my reviews were published.

Activate that sense of wonder (or just plain morbid curiosity), it's the weekend, and this hat trick of Netflix documentaries covers a bit of twisted glamour, brainy competition, and true crime.

In its first season, Paradise established a winning formula that combined earnest storytelling just bordering on full cheese with absolutely ridiculous twists.

SEE ALSO: 'Paradise's apocalypse episode is absolutely unforgettable

To see this formula at its finest, look no further than "The Day," Paradise's apocalyptic flashback episode. I lost my mind upon learning that the world ended because of an unholy volcano-tsunami combination (with some earthquakes and the threat of nuclear war on the side). But I also spent the entire episode in an anxious ball, fretting over Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins' (Sterling K. Brown) futile attempts to get his wife, Dr. Teri Rogers-Collins (Enuka Okuma), to safety.

"The Day," like the rest of Paradise, is a perfect emotional rollercoaster that zips and zooms between total investment and bewildered disbelief. That duality is also present in Paradise Season 2, which widens its world and takes much bigger genre swings, even if it's lacking as cohesive a mystery as "Who killed Cal Bradford (James Marsden)?"

Paradise Season 2 goes beyond the bunker. Shailene Woodley in "Paradise." Credit: Disney / Ser Baffo

Paradise Season 2's first big swing is opening with an episode with almost zero connections to Season 1. Instead of immediately joining Xavier on his quest to find Teri in Atlanta, we pick up with Annie (Shailene Woodley), a medical student-turned-tour guide at Graceland. When the apocalypse hits during a shift, she rides out the calamity amid Elvis Presley's belongings.

Her loneliness is broken up when a group of survivors, including charming leader Link (Thomas Doherty), arrives at the mansion. The ensuing encounter, albeit distrustful at first, morphs into something tender and sweet. The episode's hopefulness is a far cry from the bleakness of other post-apocalyptic media. Creator Dan Fogelman subverts audience expectations of the genre time and again throughout the season. Yes, there is the occasional human threat. But more often than not, the humans who have survived outside the bunker are willing to help each other. Like Annie, their isolation and paranoia often keeps them from taking the first step.

SEE ALSO: 'Paradise's twisty ending, explained: Who killed Cal?

Soon, Annie and Link's episode 1 vignette begins to fit into Paradise's bigger puzzle. Link and his crew are on their way to the Paradise bunker, where, unbeknownst to them, chaos reigns. Cal's death has left a power vacuum, Xavier's rebellion has sparked underground acts of resistance, and Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond (Julianne Nicholson) has another mysterious project up her sleeve.

I don't know where Paradise is headed, but I am loving the ride. Julianne Nicholson and Sarah Shahi in "Paradise." Credit: Disney / Ser Baffo

Sinatra's new project is the mystery at the core of Paradise Season 2, and with all the intentional vagueness surrounding it, it lacks a lot of the human heft and political intrigue of Cal's murder.

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However, if Fogelman is heading where I think he's heading, then Paradise is setting itself up for a sci-fi twist that could be even wilder than the show's episode 1 bunker reveal. That reveal sprung almost out of nowhere in Paradise's first installment, whereas Season 2 is spending many episodes teasing out its big revelation, sometimes to the point of infuriation. Jury's still out on whether Season 2 will stick the landing on that front. After all, Season 1's best twist was almost entirely due to the surprise factor.

But even if the twist ends up not hitting, so much of Paradise Season 2 still does. Brown remains astounding, whether he's struggling in his new surroundings or flirting with Teri in a flashback episode. Xavier's compassion becomes a kind of superpower in the new world outside the bunker, furthering Fogelman's more optimistic vision of life after society's collapse. At times, Xavier can feel cartoonishly good, and some of the episodic flashbacks feel just a bit too emotionally on the nose, but then again, that almost-corny earnestness is part of Paradise's appeal. Combine that with whatever bananas twists Fogelman and his team have cooking, and you're looking at a heavenly good time.

The first three episodes of Paradise Season 2 premiere Feb. 23 on Hulu.

The internet has fallen in love with Punch, the 7-month-old macaque who clings to a stuffed animal for comfort. So when a video (since deleted) surfaced showing him being dragged across the ground by another monkey inside his enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, people online panicked.

Clips spread rapidly across social media this week, with viewers accusing the other monkeys of abusing him. People demanded answers. Some accused the zoo of negligence. Others declared the other monkeys bullies.

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But according to Ichikawa City Zoo, what people saw wasn’t cruelty. It was socialization.

In a statement published to X on Feb. 20, first in Japanese and then translated to English, the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Gardens addressed the viral video directly.

Zoo keepers said Punch had approached another baby monkey in an attempt to interact. The baby avoided him. An adult monkey — likely the baby's mother — then intervened, dragging Punch away.

SEE ALSO: Punch the monkey's emotional support plushie is from IKEA. Buy it before it sells out.

The behavior may look harsh to human eyes. But for macaques, it's part of establishing boundaries.

"She probably felt that her baby was annoyed by Punch and got upset," the zoo wrote, describing the interaction as a form of discipline, not aggression.

Importantly, keepers said Punch was not injured. After the incident, he returned to his stuffed toy briefly — then resumed interacting with the other monkeys. "No single monkey has shown serious aggression toward him," the zoo said.

But the internet isn't watching Punch as a zoologist would. It's watching him like a fan.

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Punch's story has unfolded almost entirely online. People first met him through viral videos showing him clinging to a plush toy after being rejected by his biological mother. They projected onto him immediately: loneliness, vulnerability, resilience. They rooted for him.

So when a video appeared that seemed to confirm their worst fears — that he was being rejected again, and violently so — the reaction was visceral. They wanted to protect him. That emotional investment is part of what makes viral animal stories so powerful. And so volatile.

Online, animals often become characters in narratives that people build themselves. Every interaction becomes a plot point. Every setback feels personal. But those narratives don't always reflect reality.

Punch is still learning how to be a monkey. And according to the zoo, Punch's difficult interactions are part of a gradual process of integrating him into the troop.

He was hand-raised after his mother abandoned him. That saved his life. But it also meant he missed out on early social bonding. Now, he’s learning. That process includes rejection, correction, and trial and error.

It also includes progress. The zoo said Punch continues to communicate with other monkeys and shows resilience. Videos posted after the incident show him moving freely within the enclosure and being groomed by other adult monkeys in the troop. So instead of feeling sorry for the little guy, the Ichikawa City Zoo is asking Punch's online admirers to support his efforts.

He still carries his stuffed animal. But he doesn't always need it.

I always say the reason I have a bright-colored vehicle is so I can find it in the crowded Meijer parking lot after my Sunday afternoon grocery runs. As a fun experiment, take note of the vehicles you see and their colors while you are driving or walking through a parking lot. If everything appears grayscale, that’s not your imagination.

As major companies around the world start incorporating AI into virtually all aspects of their operation, things are bound to get a little wonky from time to time.

That's reportedly what happened to Amazon this past December, per the Financial Times. The company's Amazon Web Services, which makes up the backbone of a large part of the internet as we know it, experienced a 13-hour disruption, which the Financial Times describes as an outage. In a statement provided to Mashable, an Amazon spokesperson characterized the event as a limited interruption affecting "one of our two Regions in Mainland China." However, the Financial Times spoke to multiple sources who said the problem was caused by engineers allowing the agentic Kiro AI system to perform some tasks, which led the AI to "delete and recreate the environment."

SEE ALSO: 4 highlights from Google CEO Sundar Pichai's talk at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in India

Mind you, this event wasn't anywhere near the same scale as the big Amazon Web Services outage last October.

In addition, AWS published a blog post "to address the inaccuracies in the Financial Times' reporting." An AWS spokesperson also told Reuters that it was a "brief event" caused by "user error," not AI. In other words, if the Financial Times report is true, then the company is placing blame on the engineers who let the AI perform tasks rather than the AI itself. The spokesperson also said the December issues did not impact major infrastructural services as the October AWS outage did, and that the company is not aware of any customer complaints related to the event.

An Amazon spokesperson provided the following statement to Mashable by email:

"This was an extremely limited event last year when a single service (AWS Cost Explorer — which helps customers visualize, understand, and manage AWS costs and usage over time) in one of our two Regions in Mainland China was affected for 13 hours. This event did not impact compute, storage, database, AI technologies, or any other of the hundreds of services that we run. We are also not aware of any related customer inquiries resulting from this isolated interruption. In both instances referenced, the root cause was user error — specifically misconfigured access controls — not AI error. Kiro puts developers in control — users need to configure which actions Kiro can take, and by default, Kiro requests authorization before taking any action. Following the December incident, AWS implemented numerous safeguards, including mandatory peer review for production access, enhanced training on AI-assisted troubleshooting, and resource protection measures."

Big, high-profile outages have been a recurring event on the internet lately. Most recently, we saw YouTube suffer a brief global outage. See also: Verizon, Cloudflare, Microsoft 365, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and TikTok.

Experts disagree as to whether internet outages are becoming more common. However, one fact is clear: As websites and apps increasingly rely on a small number of cloud providers — including Amazon Web Services — a single outage can have widespread, cascading effects across the internet.

UPDATE: Feb. 20, 2026, 8:24 p.m. EST We have updated this story with an additional statement and denial from Amazon Web Services. Based on the statement from AWS, we have added additional information on which region the disruption affected. We have also removed a sentence from our story: "While the notion that Amazon's internal AI can facilitate infrastructure outages is not exactly encouraging, at least it didn't result in anything catastrophic."

UPDATE: Feb. 20, 2026, 12:36 p.m. EST We've updated this story to clarify that Amazon has blamed the outages on human error, not AI.

Are you looking for some more Home Assistant projects to get your teeth into this weekend? Why not organize your life by setting up a shared calendar, make Home Assistant visual with a color E-ink display, or use some 300-year-old math to get your home to the perfect temperature on time?