OpenAI has launched a pilot of group chats for ChatGPT in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan, introducing a collaborative feature that allows multiple people to participate in the same conversation with the AI. The tool is available to Free, Plus and Team users on both mobile and web, and OpenAI said the test will help it understand how people use shared conversations.
The feature follows earlier reports that the company had been experimenting with direct-message-style interactions. OpenAI described the pilot as a “small first step” toward building a more community-oriented experience inside ChatGPT. Participants in the initial rollout will be able to provide feedback that will shape future expansions to other regions and product tiers.
OpenAI said private chats and the app’s personal memory remain fully private. Group chats are invitation-only, and members can exit at any time. Most participants can remove others, though the creator of a group can leave only voluntarily. For users under 18, additional content filtering and parental controls apply.
Creating a group chat involves tapping the people icon and adding participants directly or via a shared link. Groups can include between one and 20 people. If someone is added to a pre-existing chat, ChatGPT creates a new group so the original one is preserved. Each group includes a short profile, and all conversations appear in a labeled sidebar for easier management.
Functionally, group chats behave like normal ChatGPT sessions, with the difference that multiple participants can contribute. GPT-5.1 Auto manages responses and supports search, image generation, file uploads and dictation. ChatGPT’s usage limits only apply when the AI responds; exchanges between human participants do not count toward those limits.
OpenAI said ChatGPT has been updated with new social behaviour for group conversations, such as knowing when to respond or stay silent. Users can tag “ChatGPT” to prompt an answer. The AI can react with emojis and generate personalized images using participants’ profile photos.
The company’s introduction of group chats follows its broader shift toward social-style experiences. In September, OpenAI launched Sora 2, a standalone social media app built around AI-generated video, algorithmic recommendations, parental controls and direct messaging.
Featured image credits: Freepik
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