OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT Group Chats Globally After Successful Pilot Program

ChatGPT launches pilot group chats across Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan

OpenAI on Thursday introduced a group chat feature for ChatGPT. The feature, currently being tested in select regions including Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, lets users collaborate directly within the app. The group chat is available to Free, Plus, and Team users on both mobile and web platforms. OpenAI says the pilot is designed to explore how people use group conversations in ChatGPT. The announcement comes after earlier reports that OpenAI had been testing a direct-message-style tool. The ChatGPT maker describes this pilot as just a "small first step" toward creating a more "shared experience" in the app. Early users will be invited to provide feedback, which the company says will help shape how the feature eventually expands to more regions and offerings. According to OpenAI, private chats and personal ChatGPT memory stay completely private. Group chats are invitation-only, and members can leave at any time. Most participants can remove others, though the group's creator can only leave voluntarily. For users under 18, content is filtered, with extra safeguards and parental controls in place. Starting a group chat is easy. Just tap the people icon and add participants, either directly or by sharing a link. Groups can include 1 to 20 people. If you add someone to an existing chat, a new group is created, leaving the original conversation unchanged. Each group has a short profile, and all chats are organized in a labeled sidebar for easy access. Group chats work just like regular ChatGPT conversations but with multiple people joining in. GPT‑5.1 Auto handles responses and comes loaded with features such as search, image generation, file uploads, and dictation. In group chats, ChatGPT's usage limits -- which restrict how many AI responses users can receive per hour -- only count when ChatGPT responds. Messages between human participants don't count toward these limits. ChatGPT has learned new social skills for group chats, knowing when to jump in and when to stay quiet. You can tag "ChatGPT" to get it to respond. It can also react with emojis and use profile photos to create personalized images for the conversation. The group chat feature represents the latest step in OpenAI's gradual transformation from a simple AI assistant into something resembling a social platform. In late September, the company launched Sora 2, a standalone social media app with a TikTok-style feed for sharing AI-generated videos, complete with algorithmic recommendations based on user activity and location, parental controls, and direct messaging capabilities.

Group Chats With ChatGPT Are Rolling Out Globally

Last week, OpenAI -- always looking for opportunities to put its chatbot into new spaces -- introduced Group Chats with ChatGPT baked right in. Based on early feedback, it's now expanding the feature to all logged-in users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans globally over the coming days. The feature is pitched as a new way to use ChatGPT with other people, especially in collaboration efforts, like planning a big event. Up to 20 people can be added to a group chat, and messages between individuals don't count against the rate limit to ChatGPT -- only when it responds. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Group chats use ChatGPT-5.1 Auto. OpenAI has also introduced some new implementations of how and when the chatbot responds. It's been taught new social behaviors for group chats and will apparently follow the flow of the conversation and stay quiet or chime in based on what's being said. Adding "ChatGPT" to a message you send will always yield a response from the AI chatbot. You can also provide custom instructions to ChatGPT for the entire chat if you want it to reply in a certain tone or personality, and it can react to messages with emoji. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. Group Chats don't use memory from your existing personal chats, and new memory isn't created from group conversations, though OpenAI says it's exploring a way for you to opt in to use existing memory in the future. If you're concerned that you'll be thrown into a dozen chats without your permission, then you'll likely be happy to hear that you must accept an invitation before you can be added to a group chat with ChatGPT. Additional safeguards are also in place for users under the age of 18, which will reduce sensitive content to all within the group chat. OpenAI says Group Chats are the beginning of its effort to make ChatGPT more of a shared and collaborative space for people.

Everyone can use ChatGPT Group Chat now for free - here's to try it

The feature is available to logged-in users and is rolling out globally. Last week, OpenAI announced it had begun rolling out an experimental group chat feature for ChatGPT, enabling groups of up to 20 users to collaborate with the chatbot in a single, shared conversation. The feature received such positive feedback from the pilot early testers that it is now available to everyone. The feature is available to all logged-in users, including Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, across web and mobile. The company added that it is being rolled out globally over the coming days, so if you don't see it yet, that's why. Here's what you can expect from the experience, and how it could make you more productive. Also: You'll code faster and spend less with OpenAI's new GPT-5.1 update - here's how Infusing ChatGPT into a group chat context aligns with OpenAI's broader mission of transforming ChatGPT into a general-purpose AI assistant and removing as many barriers to access as possible, so that it becomes a deeply embedded tool in people's day-to-day lives. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) OpenAI has also been working to make its flagship AI chatbot a more active collaborator in the workplace: In September, the company debuted a "shared projects" mode, through which team members can interact with ChatGPT in a shared and secure conversation. Also: Perplexity's Comet lands on Android - can it crush Chrome? How to try it From a user perspective, ChatGPT would likely be most useful for those sometimes unwieldy group chats where decisions need to be made quickly. If a big group of friends is trying to plan a vacation in a city that none of them has ever visited before, for example, it's easy to see how AI could provide some helpful assistance and recommendations. Or, if a group of colleagues is trying to get organized before delivering a pitch to a new client, they can collectively leverage ChatGPT in a single chat to help organize their presentation. This is where ChatGPT's group chat prowess is likely to shine: as a tool for keeping things moving along. "With group chats, you can bring friends, family, or coworkers into a shared space to plan, make decisions, or work through ideas together," OpenAI wrote in its announcement. Of course, many group text chats aren't oriented toward any particular goal; they're just a group of friends or colleagues keeping in touch, sharing Spotify links, and so on. And for this kind of more casual group chat, there's probably not going to be much of an immediate need to get ChatGPT involved, unless, again, some time-sensitive goal comes up, like needing to choose a restaurant reservation that fits everyone's tastes and schedules. In a group chat setting, ChatGPT has been designed to be a little less proactive than it is in one-on-one interactions. "It follows the flow of the conversation and decides when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the group conversation," according to OpenAI. Users can also reference "ChatGPT" during a conversation, which prompts the chatbot to chime in. The chatbot's "memories" of individual users -- the details about their lives it's picked up on and stored from previous interactions -- will not be transferred into group chats, meaning that no sensitive personal information will accidentally come to the surface while you're, say, discussing a work project with your colleagues. OpenAI said that it's working on customizable memory options for the experimental feature, however, so that users can modify which details about their lives they want the chatbot to be able to reference within a group chat. Also: GPT-5 is speeding up scientific research, but still can't be trusted to work alone, OpenAI warns If somebody under the age of 18 enters the chat, "ChatGPT automatically reduces exposure to sensitive content for everyone in the chat," the company wrote. Again, this is an experimental feature, and OpenAI may modify ChatGPT's group chat functionality as it expands. Down the road, for example, the company may decide that it's more useful (and engaging) to make ChatGPT less of a fly on the wall and more of a conversation-initiator in group chats. Its competitor, Meta, is reportedly already experimenting with AI chatbots that proactively initiate conversations with users. Regardless of how things shape up over time, OpenAI's foray into group chats could provide a blueprint for other developers as they simultaneously work to broaden the reach of their own, competing chatbots. Users can initiate a group chat by clicking an icon in the top-right corner of their screen, which depicts a person with a small plus sign at their shoulder. They can then add others by sharing a link to the chat. Every participant in a group chat will be asked to set up a brief profile, including their name, username, and photo. Group chats are stored in ChatGPT in a clearly delineated section of the sidebar on the left side of users' screens. Also: Android Auto just got a major Gemini upgrade, and it's already lapping Google Assistant ChatGPT's group chat feature is powered by GPT-5.1 Auto, which adaptively selects between OpenAI's various models to decide which one is best suited to respond to a particular query.

OpenAI is launching group chats in ChatGPT

OpenAI is widely rolling out group chats inside ChatGPT, allowing you to invite up to 20 other people to your conversation with the AI chatbot. The feature is now available globally to all logged-in users, following a short pilot earlier this month. OpenAI positions the feature as a way to collaborate with friends, family members, or coworkers when doing things like organizing a dinner, creating travel plans, and drafting an outline -- all with ChatGPT on board. You create a group chat by selecting the "people" icon in the top-right corner of the ChatGPT app. ChatGPT will then copy your existing chat to a new group chat, where you can add others by sending them a link to your conversation (which they can also share). ChatGPT will prompt you to enter a name, username, and photo the first time you enter or create a group chat, making it easier to see who's talking. OpenAI says it trained ChatGPT to go along with the "flow of the conversation," which means it will try to determine the best times to chime in and when to stay quiet. You can directly mention "ChatGPT" in a message if you want a response from the chatbot. ChatGPT can also react to messages with emoji and reference profile photos when doing things like creating personalized images. You can access various settings by selecting the group chat icon on the top-right corner of the screen, which houses options to add or remove people, mute notifications, and give custom instructions to ChatGPT. OpenAI notes that ChatGPT won't use memories from your personal chats inside group conversations, nor will it create new memories based on your group chats. ChatGPT uses GPT-5.1 Auto to power its responses in group chats, "which chooses the best model to respond with based on the prompt and the models available to the user that ChatGPT is responding to." Rate limits will only apply when ChatGPT sends a message in the chat.

ChatGPT Is Testing Group Conversations, But You Can't Access Them Yet

With over a decade of experience reporting on consumer technology, James covers mobile phones, apps, operating systems, wearables, AI, and more. Don't miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google. You may soon have a new way to chat to your friends, family, or coworkers. ChatGPT group conversations are in development for you to talk to people, and then easily call on an AI to help you research without moving to another tool. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced on Thursday it's beginning tests on its new collaboration tool. Group chats on ChatGPT will allow up to 20 members, and users will need to set up a profile before joining. That includes sharing a name, username, and a profile picture. ChatGPT will contribute to the conversation with its latest GPT-5.1 Auto tech, which means it will know which models to switch between based on the prompts provided. OpenAI says, "It follows the flow of the conversation and decides when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the group conversation." Messages to other members of the conversation are free, but you'll use credits when you ask ChatGPT directly for a response. It'll take credits from the person who asks the query, rather than everyone in the chat. ChatGPT will use the models available to each group chat member, which is dependent on whether they're a free user, or a Go, Plus or Pro subscriber. OpenAI says, "We've also given ChatGPT the ability to react to messages with emojis, and reference profile photos -- so it can, for example, use group members' photos when asked to create fun personalized images within that group conversation." Your history with ChatGPT won't be called upon for responses in these conversations, and OpenAI says responses in group chats won't influence its memory in your private conversations. The brand says it's also exploring more granular controls around memories in group chats. Users under 18 can be added into group chats, but it will remove all sensitive content from those conversations as part of the brand's expanded safeguards. Those with parental controls can turn off group chats entirely for younger users. Early testing is exclusive to logged-in users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. OpenAI says it intends to learn from early feedback before expanding to other regions.

OpenAI is piloting ChatGPT group chats

Just when you thought virtual collaboration couldn't get worse, OpenAI stuffs a bot into your group conversations Feel like your team's group chat is a bit lifeless? Remote coworkers not really collaborating as well as they should be? There's a new way to stir the pot now that OpenAI has piloted ChatGPT group chats: cram a chatbot into the conversation and let it chime in whenever it thinks it should. Where there are chatty bots, there's OpenAI, naturally, which on Thursday announced the pilot of group chats in ChatGPT. The new feature is now available for mobile and web users logged into ChatGPT, be they free, Go, Plus, or Pro users - but don't go trying to suck your friends and coworkers into a ChatGPT group chat unless you're in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, or Taiwan, as those are the only places getting access to the pilot. OpenAI is pushing the new group chat feature as a way for people to collaborate at work and school, as well as a way for friends to make decisions on things like dinner destinations, vacations, and the like. Search, image and file uploading, image generation, and voice dictation are all included in group chats with ChatGPT, powered by GPT-5.1 Auto, which automatically shunts requests to the best model (i.e., instant, thinking, or a legacy model for free tier users) for the task. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT will always be listening to discussions, but "decides when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the group conversation." It'll still automatically reply if a user mentions ChatGPT, however. That said, it seems like there are some cumbersome elements of this initial ChatGPT group-chat pilot, for instance, how it handles when new users are added to an existing group chat. "When you add someone to an existing chat, ChatGPT creates a copy of your conversation as a new group chat so your original conversation stays separate," OpenAI said. In other words, prepare for the group chat section in the ChatGPT app and web client sidebar to get cluttered very quickly if users are frequently joining conversations in progress. If ChatGPT users are hoping to share their personally-tweaked bots with memories based on interaction history with others, that's too bad as well: OpenAI said that personal ChatGPT memory isn't used in group chats, and that's a two-way street - one's personal ChatGPT won't create new memories based on group conversations either. It's a totally isolated copy of the bot for now, though OpenAI said it's "exploring offering more granular controls" to enable the sharing of ChatGPT memory in group chats, so don't worry - you'll be able to broadcast your delusions to others soon enough. There was no mention of when the ChatGPT group-chat feature will come to other regions (we asked but didn't hear back), with the company only saying that it's going to "learn how people use ChatGPT together" to determine how it expands the initiative or what sort of collaborative AI features come next. That's right: "group chats are just the beginning of ChatGPT becoming a shared space to collaborate and interact with others," OpenAI said. Goodbye, Google Workspace; hello to another place for an AI giant to cram its tools into a space previously reserved for human interaction. ®

OpenAI is testing ChatGPT Group Chat - here's who can join now

The chatbot is designed to be less talkative in a group setting. On Thursday, OpenAI announced it had begun rolling out an experimental group chat feature for ChatGPT, enabling groups of up to 20 users to collaborate with the chatbot in a single, shared conversation. Also: You'll code faster and spend less with OpenAI's new GPT-5.1 update - here's how The feature is currently only available to Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, across web and mobile. However, OpenAI says the limited launch marks "a small first step toward shared experiences in ChatGPT" and that early feedback would determine if and when it's made available across other regions. Infusing ChatGPT into a group chat context aligns with OpenAI's broader mission of transforming ChatGPT into a general-purpose AI assistant and removing as many barriers to access as possible, so that it becomes a deeply embedded tool in people's day-to-day lives. OpenAI has also been working to make its flagship AI chatbot a more active collaborator in the workplace: In September, the company debuted a "shared projects" mode, through which team members can interact with ChatGPT in a shared and secure conversation. Also: Want a tech job? These skills will matter most in 2026, State of IT report shows From a user perspective, ChatGPT would likely be most useful for those sometimes unwieldy group chats where decisions need to be made quickly. If a big group of friends is trying to plan a vacation in a city that none of them have ever visited before, for example, it's easy to see how AI could provide some helpful assistance and recommendations. Or, if a group of colleagues is trying to get organized before delivering a pitch to a new client, they can collectively leverage ChatGPT in a single chat to help organize their presentation. This is where ChatGPT's group chat prowess is likely to shine: as a tool for keeping things moving along. "With group chats, you can bring friends, family, or coworkers into a shared space to plan, make decisions, or work through ideas together," OpenAI wrote in its announcement. Of course, many group text chats aren't oriented toward any particular goal; they're just a group of friends or colleagues keeping in touch, sharing Spotify links, and so on. And for this kind of more casual group chat, there's probably not going to be much of an immediate need to get ChatGPT involved; unless, again, some time-sensitive goal comes up, like needing to choose a restaurant reservation that fits everyone's tastes and schedules. In a group chat setting, ChatGPT has been designed to be a little less proactive than it is in one-on-one interactions. "It follows the flow of the conversation and decides when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the group conversation," according to OpenAI. Users can also reference "ChatGPT" during a conversation, which prompts the chatbot to chime in. The chatbot's "memories" of individual users -- the details about their lives it's picked up on and stored from previous interactions -- will not be transferred into group chats, meaning that no sensitive personal information will accidentally come to the surface while you're, say, discussing a work project with your colleagues. OpenAI said that it's working on customizable memory options for the experimental feature, however, so that users can modify which details about their lives they want the chatbot to be able to reference within a group chat. Also: Does your chatbot have 'brain rot'? 4 ways to tell If somebody under the age of 18 enters the chat, "ChatGPT automatically reduces exposure to sensitive content for everyone in the chat," the company wrote. Again, this is an experimental feature, and OpenAI may modify ChatGPT's group chat functionality as it expands. Down the road, for example, the company may decide that it's more useful (and engaging) to make ChatGPT less of a fly on the wall and more of a conversation-initiator in group chats. Its competitor, Meta, is reportedly already experimenting with AI chatbots that proactively initiate conversations with users. Regardless of how things shape up over time, OpenAI's foray into group chats could provide a blueprint for other developers as they simultaneously work to broaden the reach of their own, competing chatbots. Users with access to ChatGPT's new experimental feature can initiate a group chat by clicking an icon in the top-right corner of their screen, which depicts a person with a small plus sign at their shoulder. They can then add others by sharing a link to the chat. Every participant in a group chat will be asked to set up a brief profile, including their name, username, and photo. Group chats are stored in ChatGPT in a clearly delineated section of the sidebar on the left side of users' screens. Also: OpenAI's GPT-5.1 makes ChatGPT 'warmer' and smarter - how its upgraded modes work now ChatGPT's group chat feature is powered by GPT-5.1 Auto, which adaptively selects between OpenAI's various models to decide which one is best suited to respond to a particular query.

ChatGPT group chats roll out to everyone

After what was apparently a successful testing period, OpenAI has announced that it is rolling out group chats in ChatGPT to "all logged-in users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans globally over the coming days." The company first started testing a way to collaborate with peers directly inside ChatGPT around a week ago in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. Once you start a chat in ChatGPT you can invite other people to join (up to 20 in a chat), either with their existing ChatGPT account, or one they make after clicking the invite link. Beyond being able to prompt ChatGPT together and react to each other's messages, the features of group chats appear to be deliberately limited. OpenAI says that the content of group chats aren't stored in ChatGPT's memory, and any person can be removed from a chat by any person, save for the creator. OpenAI was reportedly working on its own version of a text-based social media feed in April. That X competitor has yet to materialize, but the company has brushed up against social features in other ways. For example, the Sora app that OpenAI launched in September competes directly with TikTok in terms of form and its ability to provide passive entertainment. Group chats in ChatGPT might not replace an app like Messenger, but it does offer a similar AI messaging experience to what Meta's been playing with in Instagram, and its using a chatbot the average person likes a lot more.

ChatGPT is testing group chats in the most chaotic way

ChatGPT group invitations are sent as shareable links, meaning they can be reshared until 20 people are added. OpenAI is searching for ways to turn its AI technology into consumer products that can compete with the likes of Meta and Google. It recently brought the Sora app, which offers a TikTok-like social feed for AI-generated videos, to the Google Play Store. Now, OpenAI is piloting group chats in ChatGPT. The feature will make it possible for users to chat with their friends and family while also tapping into ChatGPT for help. Rather than a standalone direct messaging system, group chats in ChatGPT are a way to collaborate with others within an AI chat. Users can start a new conversation with ChatGPT or open an existing one to begin. From there, a new people icon will appear near the top-right corner of the app's view, allowing users to add others to the ChatGPT conversation. The app creates a shareable link that can be sent to up to 20 people. Notably, the shareable ChatGPT group chat link is not private. Anyone a ChatGPT user shares an invite link to can also forward it to others, allowing them to join the conversation. The creator of the chat can remove people, mute notifications, or set a name for the group. For privacy, your personal ChatGPT memory is not used in group chats, and group discussions aren't saved as memories. After joining a chat, ChatGPT users will be prompted to set their name, username, and photo. Users only have to do this once. Beyond the initial setup, the app stores this information for use in future group chats. Once created, group chats have a new home in the ChatGPT app sidebar. They live above the "Your chats" section in a new grouping called "Group chats." Users can view a peek of the profile photos of the people in the chat next to the name of each group. The AI-powered group chat features use GPT‑5.1 Auto, which dynamically switches between OpenAI models based on the request. All major ChatGPT features work within groups, including search, image and file upload, image generation, and dictation. OpenAI claims that it taught ChatGPT social behaviors to make AI group chats possible. "It follows the flow of the conversation and decides when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the group conversation," the company explains. "We've also given ChatGPT the ability to react to messages with emojis, and reference profile photos -- so it can, for example, use group members' photos when asked to create fun personalized images within that group conversation." OpenAI is rolling out group chats starting now for all ChatGPT users across the Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans, as long as they are signed into their account. Availability is limited to users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan at the moment, with further expansion likely to follow. "This pilot is a small first step toward shared experiences in ChatGPT, and we expect to learn from early user feedback to inform how we expand to more regions and ChatGPT plans," OpenAI says.

ChatGPT enters group chats to help teams plan and create together

ChatGPT is stepping into group conversations, and it might change how people collaborate online. OpenAI has begun piloting a new feature that lets multiple users and ChatGPT work together inside the same shared chat, transforming everything from trip planning to workplace brainstorming into a collective experience. The experiment marks one of the biggest shifts in how people will interact with AI assistants. Instead of siloed one-on-one chats, users can now coordinate, debate, and co-create with each other and ChatGPT in real time.

ChatGPT just got a major upgrade -- now you can invite friends into the same AI conversation

OpenAI just launched a new Group Chat feature in ChatGPT that lets you invite up to 20 people into the same ChatGPT conversation thread. So basically it's like a group text but with AI to help you pitch ideas, ask questions and settle arguments. The pilot program rolled out yesterday and is currently available to Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. But if it's successful, it could go global fast. Whether you're planning a vacation, drafting a marketing deck, or simply debating the best pizza toppings, ChatGPT now supports real-time shared brainstorming. For years, ChatGPT has been a one-on-one assistant, which is great for just about any query, but limited to single-user threads. This update shifts ChatGPT into a collaborative space, similar to what Claude and Google NotebookLM have already done. ChatGPT group chatting allows: If you are using ChatGPT in one of the locations mentioned (Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan): Here's how to start a group chat in ChatGPT (when available in your region): The AI behind the group is GPT-5.1 Auto, OpenAI's adaptive routing model. You still get all the features you'd expect: image generation, file uploads, voice input and search tools. As an added bonus, rate limits only apply when ChatGPT responds. Your messages to each other don't count against anyone's quota. Another cool feature OpenAI promises for this update is that ChatGPT will lean into social cues. But to keep things smooth in a crowd, OpenAI gave ChatGPT new social behaviors. For instance, it will wait its turn or jump in when asked. It can respond with emojis, and users can make photos to personalize images (e.g., "make a poster of us as superheroes"). OpenAI says group chats are totally separate from your personal memory with ChatGPT. The AI doesn't bring in info it remembers about you unless you prompt it. With group chats, ChatGPT moves from a personal tool to a shared experience. It's making AI more human than ever by bringing into the conversation, be it serious or silly. We'll be testing this feature ourselves once it lands in the U.S. In the meantime, get your team chat ideas ready. ChatGPT just got a lot more social.

ChatGPT slides into the group chat

Why it matters: Giving AI access to group text dynamics could reshape how tech companies learn about our social interactions, for better or worse. * AI makers are betting that people want bots and their friends in the same chat, but so far most users prefer one-on-one interactions with AI. How it works: The pilot -- now running in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan -- is available to Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in the ChatGPT app on mobile, and on the web. * Tap the people icon in the top right corner of any new or existing chat to add up to 20 users. You can also add people to a chat by sharing a link. Participants will need to set up a short profile with a name, username, and photo. * Search, image and file upload, image generation, and dictation are all enabled, OpenAI says. Rate limits only apply when ChatGPT responds, not on messages sent by humans in group chat. * Group chatting with ChatGPT could help users coordinate trips and events, brainstorm with work teams or hobby communities or facilitate study groups. By the numbers: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently announced that ChatGPT has 800 million weekly users. * If those people start adding their non-ChatGPT-using-friends to their group chats, that's a lot of new users. Zoom out: OpenAI isn't the only company working on sending its bot to the group chat. Continua, a company founded by former Googler David Petrou, has been offering a similar service since this summer. The difference is that Continua lets you keep your group chats where they are, instead of asking your friends to chat in ChatGPT. * To chat with Continua's bot, users add its phone number to their group chats or its user name to their Discord chat. * Petrou says including bots in your group chat is about reducing friction. "There are so many times that I've heard people say 'I was planning something, and this is what ChatGPT told me,' and then I'll go use ChatGPT, and then I'll get back to my friend and say, 'Well, this is what ChatGPT told me.' It's almost like dueling ChatGPT responses for us." Between the lines: Talking to bots in groups still feels awkward for many -- like asking Alexa or Siri a question in public. And then there's the Clippy effect -- where bots interrupt or are overly helpful. * Petrou calls this "Social AI" and says that getting it right "represents one of the biggest remaining challenges in our shared quest for AGI." Yes, but: OpenAI and Continua have the ability to use your conversations to train future models. They both promise that all user-identifying data will be stripped from conversations first. The bottom line: Group chatting with AI has the potential to simplify planning and reduce environmental impact, but it's also one more way the AI companies could train their models on our personal lives.

OpenAI tests ChatGPT group chats. How to try it.

Finally, a group chat with a resident yes man for everyone in it. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images OpenAI announced in a company blog post that it's testing out group chats in ChatGPT. You can get as many as 20 people together to collaborate on projects and get ChatGPT's input. If you're trying to plan a dinner party, camping trip, or group-anything, you can now do that with the help of an AI companion. These chats will live separately from your regular ChatGPT conversations, and OpenAI promises that your private chats will not be shared with anyone in the group chats. You're probably wondering how to try this yourself. Well, we have bad news for anyone in the United States: It doesn't seem like you can, yet. This is a small-scale pilot program for users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. Readers in the West will simply have to wait a while, it seems. OpenAI's blog post states: "Group chats are starting to roll out on mobile and web for logged-in ChatGPT users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. This pilot is a small first step toward shared experiences in ChatGPT, and we expect to learn from early user feedback to inform how we expand to more regions and ChatGPT plans." If you are able to try out this feature, OpenAI provided some instructions. You can tap the people icon in the upper-right corner of any chat you're viewing, and get a link you can share with others. Doing so will create a new, separate chat just for the group. Everyone in the chat will have to set up a quick user profile so everyone else knows who they are, and all group chats will be kept in their own special part of the sidebar. We'll keep an eye on this pilot and tell you if and when it's available in the U.S.

ChatGPT Group Chats are here... but not for everyone (yet)

It was originally found in leaked code and publicized by AI influencers on X, but OpenAI has made it official: ChatGPT now offers Group Chats, allowing multiple users to join the same, single ChatGPT conversation and send messages to each other and the underlying large language model (LLM), online and via its mobile apps. Imagine adding ChatGPT as another member of your existing group chats, allowing you to text it as you would one of your friends or family members and have them respond as well, and you'll have an idea of the intriguing power and potential of this feature. However, the feature is only available as a limited pilot for now to ChatGPT users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan (all tiers, including free usage). "Group chats are just the beginning of ChatGPT becoming a shared space to collaborate and interact with others," OpenAI wrote in its announcement. This development builds on internal experimentation at OpenAI, where technical staffer Keyan Zhang said in a post on X that OpenAI's team initially considered multiplayer ChatGPT to be "a wild, out-of-distribution idea." According to Zhang, the model's performance in those early tests demonstrated far more potential than existing interfaces typically allow. The move follows OpenAI investor yet competitor Microsoft's update of its Copilot AI assistant to allow group chats last month, as well as Anthropic's introduction of shareable context and chat histories from its Claude AI models through its Projects feature introduced summer 2024, though this is not a simultaneous, realtime group chat in the same way. Collaborative Functionality Integrated into ChatGPT Group chats function as shared conversational spaces where users can plan events, brainstorm ideas, or collaborate on projects with the added support of ChatGPT. These conversations are distinct from individual chats and are excluded from ChatGPT's memory system -- meaning no data from these group threads is used to train or personalize future interactions. Users can initiate a group chat by selecting the people icon in a new or existing conversation. Adding others creates a copy of the original thread, preserving the source dialogue. Participants can join via a shareable link and are prompted to create a profile with a name, username, and photo. The feature supports 1 to 20 participants per group. Each group chat is listed in a new section of the ChatGPT interface, and users can manage settings like naming the group, adding or removing participants, or muting notifications. Powered by GPT-5.1 with Expanded Tools The new group chat feature runs on GPT-5.1 Auto, a backend setting that chooses the optimal model based on the user's subscription tier and the prompt. Functionality such as search, image generation, file upload, and dictation is available inside group conversations. Importantly, the system applies rate limits only when ChatGPT is producing responses. Direct messages between human users in the group do not count toward any plan's message cap. OpenAI has added new social features to ChatGPT in support of this group dynamic. The model can react with emojis, interpret conversational context to decide when to respond, and personalize generated content using members' profile photos -- such as inserting user likenesses into images when asked. Privacy by Default, Controls for Younger Users OpenAI emphasized that privacy and user control are integral to group chat design. The feature operates independently of the user's personalized ChatGPT memory, and no new memories are created from these interactions. Participation requires an invitation link, and members are always able to see who is in a chat or leave at any time. Users under the age of 18 are automatically shielded from sensitive content in group chats. Parents or guardians can disable group chat access altogether via built-in parental controls. Group creators retain special permissions, including immunity from being removed by others. All other participants can be added or removed by group members. A Testbed for Shared AI Experiences OpenAI frames group chats as an early step toward richer, multi-user applications of AI, hinting at broader ambitions for ChatGPT as a shared workspace. The company expects to expand access over time and refine the feature based on how early users engage with it. Keyan Zhang's post suggests that the underlying model capabilities are far ahead of the interfaces users currently interact with. This pilot, in OpenAI's view, offers a new "container" where more of the model's latent capacity can be surfaced. "Our models have a lot more room to shine than today's experiences show, and the current containers only use a fraction of their capabilities," Zhang said. With this initial pilot focused on a limited set of markets, OpenAI is likely monitoring both usage patterns and cultural fit as it plans for broader deployment. For now, the group chat experiment offers a new way for users to interact with ChatGPT -- and with each other -- in real time, using a conversational interface that blends productivity and personalization. Developer Access: Still Unclear OpenAI has not provided any indication that Group Chats will be accessible via the API or SDK. The current rollout is framed strictly within the ChatGPT product environment, with no mention of tool calls, developer hooks, or integration support for programmatic use. This absence of signaling leaves it unclear whether the company views group interaction as a future developer primitive or as a contained UX feature for end users only. For enterprise teams exploring how to replicate multi-user collaboration with generative models, any current implementation would require custom orchestration -- such as managing multi-party context and prompts across separate API calls, and handling session state and response merging externally. Until OpenAI provides formal support, Group Chats remain a closed interface feature rather than a developer-accessible capability. Here is a standalone concluding subsection tailored for the article, focusing on what the ChatGPT Group Chat rollout means for enterprise decision makers in both pilot regions and globally: Implications for Enterprise AI and Data Leaders For enterprise teams already leveraging AI platforms -- or preparing to -- OpenAI's group chat feature introduces a new layer of multi-user collaboration that could shift how generative models are deployed across workflows. While the pilot is limited to users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, its design and roadmap offer key signals for AI engineers, orchestration specialists, and data leads globally. AI engineers managing large language model (LLM) deployments can now begin to conceptualize real-time, multi-user interfaces not just as support tools, but as collaborative environments for research, content generation, and ideation. This adds another front in model tuning: not just how models respond to individuals, but how they behave in live group settings with context shifts and varied user intentions. For AI orchestration leads, the ability to integrate ChatGPT into collaborative flows without exposing private memory or requiring custom builds may reduce friction in piloting generative AI in cross-functional teams. These group sessions could serve as lightweight alternatives to internal tools for brainstorming, prototyping, or knowledge sharing -- useful for teams constrained by infrastructure, budget, or time. Enterprise data managers may also find use cases in structured group chat sessions for data annotation, taxonomy validation, or internal training support. The system's lack of memory persistence adds a level of data isolation that aligns with standard security and compliance practices -- though global rollout will be key to validating regional data handling standards. As group chat capabilities evolve, decision makers should monitor how shared usage patterns might inform future model behaviors, auditing needs, and governance structures. In the long term, features like these will influence not just how organizations interact with generative AI, but how they design team-level interfaces around it.

ChatGPT adds group chats so you and your friends can talk to the AI together

Up to 20 people can now brainstorm, plan, and coordinate with ChatGPT's help. What's happened? OpenAI is piloting a new group chat feature inside ChatGPT, allowing you, friends, family, or coworkers to chat together with the AI in one shared conversation. * You can invite up to 20 people, including ChatGPT, and collaborate on plans, decisions, or ideas in the same thread. * Group chats are placed in a new sidebar section so all participants can access them easily, and anyone can join through a shared link. * The feature is powered by the newly released GPT-5.1 model, and rate limits apply only when ChatGPT replies. * The pilot is now live in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. This is important because: OpenAI is moving from one-on-one to group collaborations. It recently added a group collaboration feature in ChatGPT for teams to share files. The latest group chat update brings ChatGPT into shared spaces where decisions are made, ideas are shaped, and plans are coordinated. * You can plan trips, work on projects, or debate ideas with ChatGPT chiming in when helpful. * ChatGPT understands when to speak and when to stay quiet in the chat. It can also react to messages, photos, and use emojis. * Your private ChatGPT memories stay private, as group chats don't share your past conversations stored in its memory with others. Recommended Videos Why should I care? If you've ever tried planning something with friends or coordinating a project, you know how messy group chats can get with the endless back-and-forth. This update brings everyone and ChatGPT into the same space. * You can use ChatGPT to settle debates, generate ideas, or handle tedious tasks. * Shared context means fewer misunderstandings and less repetition. * It's useful even for small things like planning a night out or splitting tasks. OK, what's next? ChatGPT has been steadily expanding its capabilities by adding tools for browsing and buying with PayPal, planning trips and workouts with partners like Tripadvisor and Peloton, and experimenting with AI-driven web browsing with ChatGPT Atlas. You can also explore creative prompts that help ChatGPT work smarter in your day-to-day tasks. * OpenAI says this is an early pilot, with more features and wider rollout depending on user feedback.

OpenAI is now testing ChatGPT group chats

A key detail of the group chat is that rate limits only apply when ChatGPT generates a response not for user-to-user messages. OpenAI is piloting a new group chat feature for ChatGPT in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, allowing multiple users to interact with the AI simultaneously. This feature marks a change in chatbot interaction, following a similar introduction by Microsoft in Copilot. The group chats utilize the new GPT-5.1 model, introduced yesterday. Rate limits apply only when ChatGPT generates a response, enabling users to converse freely without immediately exhausting usage limits after each message. ChatGPT is designed to follow conversational flow, determining when to respond based on context. Users can specifically prompt ChatGPT by mentioning "ChatGPT" in a message. The AI also has the capability to react to messages with emojis and reference profile photos, allowing it to create personalized images within group conversations using members' photos. The pilot program in these four regions will inform adjustments to the group chat functionality, with OpenAI planning to expand access to additional regions based on user feedback.

OpenAI Is Testing Group Chats in ChatGPT for Smarter Team Collaboration - Phandroid

Ever wish your group chats came with a built-in referee who could settle debates, dig up facts, and help organize plans? OpenAI is piloting ChatGPT group chats in select countries, letting up to 20 people collaborate with AI in a single shared conversation. This feature could change how teams, friends, and families use AI by turning ChatGPT from a solo tool into a collaborative platform. The feature is currently available for Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users, but only in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. OpenAI is using this pilot to collect feedback and refine the experience before rolling it out globally. This comes on the heels of other recent ChatGPT features like the Atlas browser. Starting a group is simple. Users tap the people icon in any chat and invite others via a shareable link. New members set up profiles with a name, username, and photo for clear identification. The AI uses GPT-5.1 Auto, which tailors responses to each participant's ChatGPT plan. ChatGPT decides when to chime in based on conversation context, but users can explicitly prompt it by mentioning "ChatGPT." The UI includes familiar messaging features like search, file uploads, image generation, and voice dictation. Users can react with emojis, rename groups, mute notifications, and set custom instructions that adjust ChatGPT's tone per group. OpenAI emphasizes privacy with several safeguards. Personal ChatGPT memory isn't shared in groups, keeping private conversations separate. If minors are present, automatic sensitive content filters activate for all members. Groups appear in a dedicated sidebar section separate from private chats. The feature aims to facilitate collaboration by integrating AI into group planning, decision-making, and brainstorming. Common use cases include work teams coordinating projects, friends planning trips, and families organizing events. Unlike typical messaging apps, ChatGPT group chats position the AI as a virtual mediator in group dynamics. If successful, this pilot could change how groups use AI in daily tasks by making teamwork smarter and more efficient through seamless AI integration.

ChatGPT Will Now Let You Create a Group Chat With Your Friends

* The new feature will be available to all logged-in users * A group chat in ChatGPT can have up to 20 people * ChatGPT can react to messages with emojis OpenAI released a new feature for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, ChatGPT, on Friday. Dubbed group chats, it is the company's first shared experience for end users. As the name suggests, the feature allows users to create group chats in the AI app and then invite other users to collaborate over a project or just to take the assistance of ChatGPT in everyday conversations. The initial rollout is limited to select locations, but the San Francisco-based AI giant said that, based on early user feedback, it will be expanded to more regions. Group Chats in ChatGPT Arrive With New Features In a blog post, the AI giant detailed its first collaboration feature. Describing it, OpenAI said, "With group chats, you can bring friends, family, or coworkers into a shared space to plan, make decisions, or work through ideas together." It is not a new idea, since Meta AI has been available in group chats since the beginning, and Anthropic has been offering it to users via the Claude Projects feature. Details of group chats in ChatGPT Photo Credit: OpenAI OpenAI's version of a collaboration space between multiple users includes a group chat that can be created by tapping the new people icon in the top right corner of any new or existing chat. The button creates a URL, and it can be shared with other logged-in ChatGPT users (does not matter if a paid subscriber or a free user), who can then click on the link to join the group. A group chat can have between one to 20 users.

ChatGPT is Becoming Social with Group Chats

While it isn't really meant to chat informally like what other social media platforms offer, it still gives you that functionality. ChatGPT, an AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot from OpenAI, has taken its first step towards becoming a social platform. The company recently announced that it is bringing Group Chats to the platform. While it isn't really meant to chat informally like what other social media platforms offer, it still gives you that functionality. OpenAI said that it wants to enable users to invite others to collaborate over projects and share ideas. OpenAI, in a blog said, "With group chats, you can bring friends, family, or coworkers into a shared space to plan, make decisions, or work through ideas together." Read More - OnePlus 13 Price Lowers in India after OnePlus 15 Launch The group chat can have between 1 to 20 people. Just like there are admins in WhatsApp Groups, the user who is creating the group inside the ChatGPT has the power to add or remove users from the group. One of the first things that comes to mind as we think about chatting with others inside the platform is privacy! Is OpenAI monitoring these conversations? While OpenAI didn't say anything about whether it is reading these conversations or not, it has said that it won't store it in its memories. The ChatGPT memory is an important tool for many users when they are trying to access older information via chatting with the AI bot. However, the group chats won't be stored in the ChatGPT memories. Regardless, it will have to stay somewhere in the server for the users to be able to access the group chat as and when they want. Read More - BSNL, TCS Done with 1 Lakh 4G Sites, What's Next There's no conversation about encryption of the chat data. So our suggestion would be to be careful about what you type in there. OpenAI has started piloting this feature in New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

OpenAI Says Experimental Group Chat Feature Enables Collaboration and Interaction | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. The feature could be used for planning a weekend trip, organizing a group dinner or drafting an outline, the company said in a Thursday (Nov. 13) blog post. "Group chats work much like your usual ChatGPT conversations -- only now, others can join in," the company said in its post. The feature allows users to invite as many as 20 people to join a group chat, enables ChatGPT to respond based on the context of the conversation or when someone mentions its name, allows users to add or remove people from the group, and keeps group chats separate from users' private conversations, according to the post. OpenAI is rolling out group chats on mobile and web for logged-in ChatGPT users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan, the post said. The company expects to expand the feature to more plans and regions after gaining feedback from this pilot and refining the feature, per the post. "Group chats are just the beginning of ChatGPT becoming a shared space to collaborate and interact with others," OpenAI said in its post. "As ChatGPT becomes an even better partner in group conversations, it will help you spark ideas, make decisions, and express your creativity with the people who matter most in your life." Daniel Levine, product at OpenAI, said in a Thursday post on social platform X: "This is a first step towards letting you use AI with others. Incredibly excited to see how people use group chats!" OpenAI's announcement of this feature came a day after the company's launch of GPT-5.1, the latest version of its flagship model. GPT-5.1 arrives in two forms. The first is Instant, which is now the default model across paid ChatGPT tiers and is built for everyday speed and conversational use. The second is Thinking, which supports more complex reasoning and adjusts its computation time based on task difficulty. According to the Thursday press release, GPT-5.1 Auto will power the responses in group chats and will choose the best model with which to respond based on the prompt and the models available to the user within their plan.

OpenAI piloting Group Chats in ChatGPT

OpenAI has announced a new group chat feature for its AI chatbot, ChatGPT. The company is piloting the feature for all users in a few regions, like Japan, letting users collaborate with others in the same conversation. Group chats make it possible to bring people and ChatGPT into the same conversation, says the company. This is more like having Meta AI inside a WhatsApp group, where users can chat and initiate Meta AI into the conversation by tagging it. Similarly, OpenAI is experimenting with this new group chat feature, transforming ChatGPT into a collaborative messaging platform and an AI assistant. Responses by ChatGPT in group chats are powered by GPT‑5.1 Auto. This means ChatGPT will intelligently choose the best model to respond with based on the prompt and the models available to the user that ChatGPT is responding to, based on their Free, Go, Plus, or Pro plan. Further, OpenAI has trained ChatGPT with new social behaviors for group chats, meaning it can follow the flow of conversations and react to messages itself with emojis and decide when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the group conversation. This gives a feel of having another human around, and at any time, a user can bring in AI expertise by typing "ChatGPT" in a message. ChatGPT also offers certain privacy controls over this new feature. For example, personal ChatGPT memory is not used in group chats, and ChatGPT does not create new memories from these conversations. Also, group members can remove other participants except the group creator, and users can set custom instructions for how ChatGPT responds in each group chat. Group chats are starting to roll out on mobile and web for logged-in ChatGPT users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. Regarding the initiative, OpenAI said,

OpenAI's group chat feature explained: The bold step toward AI-assisted collaboration

Group Chats reshape productivity by uniting multiple AI experts in one conversation OpenAI's new Group Chats feature isn't just another product update, it's a fundamental shift in how we interact with AI. For years, ChatGPT has existed as a one-on-one assistant: efficient, personal, and direct. With Group Chats, that model expands into something more ambitious. Now, multiple AI agents and humans can coexist in the same space, responding to each other, critiquing one another's ideas, and working together toward a shared outcome. It pushes ChatGPT from being a single voice at the end of a prompt box to a digital team that collaborates. Also read: Qualcomm's new chip for smart factories: Dragonwing IQ-X details explained What makes Group Chats intriguing isn't the idea of a shared room, it's what happens inside it. Users can now bring in different AI profiles with different strengths. One model might be exceptional at creative thinking, another at analysis, another at code interpretation. Instead of switching tabs, copying responses, or prompting multiple times, the user can simply watch these models respond to each other in real time. This changes the energy of the interaction. A brainstorming session becomes more alive. A design sprint becomes more fluid. A complex problem becomes easier to dissect because each AI tackles it from its assigned lens. Picture a product designer pulling in a visual designer AI, a technical reviewer AI, and a researcher AI. As one generates ideas, another evaluates feasibility, while the third fills gaps with context. It creates a conversation that feels closer to watching experts exchange ideas than typing into a chatbot. In this way, ChatGPT becomes not just a tool but a creative environment, the digital equivalent of gathering teammates around a whiteboard. Where Group Chats becomes even more interesting is in the structure it allows. Users can assign roles and personalities to each AI from the outset. One agent can be instructed to challenge ideas rigorously, another to refine the best ones, and another to verify facts. Instead of prompting every step manually, you set the ecosystem, and the agents take over the process together. For a writer, this might mean drafting with one model while another judges clarity and a third suggests alternative angles. For engineers, a code model can propose solutions while a second model checks for vulnerabilities. Even students can benefit: one AI can walk through a maths solution methodically while another explains conceptual gaps. Also read: What's new in GPT-5.1: All differences compared to GPT-5 explained The AIs don't operate in silos; they interact. When one produces an answer, the others intervene with corrections, improvements, or warnings. What emerges is a multi-layered conversation where intelligence compounds rather than repeats. This marks the beginning of something deeper, treating AI not as one mind, but as a cluster of minds working collectively. The shift, of course, isn't without concerns. Multiple AIs agreeing can create a false sense of correctness, consensus doesn't equal truth. Models trained on similar data might echo each other instead of challenging assumptions. Users might find themselves deferring to a group of models that sound authoritative purely because they sound unified. There's also the question of how assertive these AIs should be. Human collaboration thrives on debate, disagreement, and occasionally even friction. Should AI agents challenge each other to that extent? Should a researcher AI be allowed to bluntly contradict a creative AI? OpenAI hasn't framed Group Chats as a philosophical milestone, but it inevitably opens that door. Still, the potential is powerful. Teams can collaborate in the same digital space without juggling documents and summaries. Creative workflows become faster. Decision-making cycles shrink. Individuals can harness specialised AI perspectives without ever leaving one room. This isn't just convenience - it's a rethinking of how work happens in an AI-driven era. Group Chats may look like a simple feature at launch, but its implications are anything but simple. It nudges AI toward collective intelligence - toward systems that don't just respond, but engage, question, and refine. It transforms ChatGPT from a solitary assistant into a collaborative hub where ideas evolve through interaction. It's a bold step toward AI-assisted collaboration, and it quietly marks the beginning of a world where we don't just talk to machines, we work with them, as teams.