OpenAI Pilots ChatGPT Group Chats in Four Asian-Pacific Markets

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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OpenAI launches experimental group chat feature for ChatGPT in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, allowing up to 20 users to collaborate with AI in shared conversations. The pilot represents a strategic shift toward social platform capabilities.

OpenAI Expands ChatGPT's Social Capabilities with Group Chat Pilot

OpenAI has launched an experimental group chat feature for ChatGPT, marking a significant step in the company's evolution from a simple AI assistant toward a more social, collaborative platform. The pilot program, announced Thursday, is currently available to users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan across all subscription tiers including Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans

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Technical Features and User Experience

The group chat functionality allows up to 20 participants to collaborate in a shared ChatGPT conversation, powered by GPT-5.1 Auto technology that dynamically switches between OpenAI models based on request complexity

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. Users can access all major ChatGPT features within group settings, including search capabilities, image generation, file uploads, and voice dictation

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Starting a group chat requires users to tap a people icon and add participants either directly or through shareable links. Each participant must set up a brief profile including their name, username, and photo, which is stored for future group interactions

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. The feature creates a dedicated "Group chats" section in the ChatGPT sidebar, displaying profile photos of participants alongside group names.

Source: TechCrunch

Source: TechCrunch

AI Social Intelligence and Behavior

OpenAI has developed what it describes as "social skills" for ChatGPT in group settings. The AI assistant has been programmed to follow conversation flow and determine when to contribute versus remaining silent based on context

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. Users can explicitly summon ChatGPT by mentioning its name, prompting immediate responses.

The AI can now react with emojis and reference profile photos to create personalized images for group conversations. This represents a notable advancement in contextual AI behavior, moving beyond simple question-and-answer interactions toward more nuanced social participation

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Source: NDTV Gadgets 360

Source: NDTV Gadgets 360

Privacy and Safety Measures

OpenAI has implemented several privacy protections for the group chat feature. Personal ChatGPT memories from individual conversations remain completely private and are not accessible in group settings. Conversely, group chat interactions do not influence personal ChatGPT memory, creating isolated conversation environments

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For users under 18, the system automatically filters sensitive content for all group participants and includes enhanced parental controls. Parents can completely disable group chat access for younger users if desired

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Strategic Implications and Market Positioning

The group chat pilot represents OpenAI's broader strategy to transform ChatGPT into a general-purpose AI assistant deeply embedded in users' daily lives. This aligns with the company's recent launch of Sora 2, a standalone social media application featuring TikTok-style feeds for AI-generated videos

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Source: The Register

Source: The Register

Industry observers note this positions OpenAI to compete more directly with established tech giants like Meta and Google in the collaborative workspace arena. The feature could prove particularly valuable for decision-making scenarios, such as group vacation planning or workplace project coordination, where AI assistance can help streamline discussions and provide real-time information

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Implementation Challenges and Future Expansion

The current implementation includes some potentially cumbersome elements. When new users join existing conversations, ChatGPT creates entirely new group chats rather than adding them to ongoing discussions, which could lead to sidebar cluttering as groups evolve

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OpenAI describes this pilot as "a small first step toward shared experiences in ChatGPT" and plans to use early user feedback to determine expansion to additional regions and subscription plans. The company has not provided specific timelines for broader rollout, emphasizing its commitment to learning from initial user interactions before scaling the feature globally

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