OpenAI has launched a group chat feature for ChatGPT, enabling collaborative conversations for enhanced user interaction and teamwork. This new feature allows multiple users to interact with ChatGPT in a single, shared conversation, marking a significant step towards transforming the AI chatbot from a solo tool into a collaborative platform.
How the Group Chat Feature Works
The group chat feature allows users to invite up to 20 participants into a shared conversation with ChatGPT. To initiate a group chat, users can tap the "people icon" located in the top-right corner of any new or existing chat. From there, they can invite others to join the conversation via a shareable link. When someone is added to an existing chat, ChatGPT creates a copy of the conversation as a new group chat, ensuring that the original conversation remains private. Upon joining or creating a group, users are prompted to set up a short profile with their name, username, and photo so that everyone in the group can identify each other.
Benefits of ChatGPT Group Chat
The ChatGPT group chat feature offers numerous benefits for users, including:
- Enhanced Collaboration: It facilitates collaboration among friends, family, and colleagues by providing a shared space to plan, make decisions, and work through ideas together.
- AI-Powered Assistance: ChatGPT can act as an impartial referee in group decisions, helping to find restaurants, settle debates, and provide recommendations.
- Streamlined Teamwork: It streamlines teamwork by integrating AI into group planning, decision-making, and brainstorming, making collaboration smarter and more efficient.
- Improved Organization: Users can share articles, notes, and questions with ChatGPT, which can summarize and organize the information.
- Customizable Experience: Group settings allow users to rename the chat, add or remove participants, mute notifications, and set custom instructions for how ChatGPT should respond.
GPT-5.1 Auto and Social Behaviors
The group chat feature is powered by GPT-5.1 Auto, which selects the best AI model based on the prompt and the user's subscription plan. OpenAI has also taught ChatGPT new social behaviors for group chats, enabling it to follow the flow of the conversation and decide when to respond and when to stay quiet based on the context of the group conversation. Users can also prompt ChatGPT by mentioning its name in a message. The AI chatbot can also react to messages with emojis and reference profile photos of group members.
Privacy and Safety Measures
OpenAI has implemented several privacy and safety measures to protect users in group chats:
- Separate Conversations: Group chats are distinct from private conversations, and a user's personal ChatGPT memory is never shared with the chat.
- Content Filtering: If a participant is under 18 years old, ChatGPT automatically reduces exposure to sensitive content for the entire group.
- User Controls: Members can mute or remove other participants, although the creator of the chat remains in place.
Availability
The group chat feature is currently in a pilot stage and is rolling out to ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. OpenAI plans to gather feedback from early users and expand the feature to more regions and ChatGPT plans in the future.
With the launch of the group chat feature, OpenAI is taking a significant step towards creating an "everything app" that seamlessly integrates AI into social interactions and teamwork. This new feature has the potential to transform the way people collaborate and communicate, making teamwork smarter, more efficient, and more enjoyable.
