OpenAI Introduces Group Chat Feature in ChatGPT for Enhanced Collaboration
OpenAI has unveiled a groundbreaking feature for ChatGPT, introducing group chats that enable multiple users to collaborate within a single conversation. This innovation is currently being piloted in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, marking a significant evolution in AI-assisted communication.
Seamless Collaboration with ChatGPT
The new group chat functionality allows users to invite friends, family, or colleagues into a shared space where they can collectively plan events, make decisions, or brainstorm ideas. For instance, when organizing a group dinner, participants can create a group chat to discuss menu options, coordinate schedules, and even generate a shopping list, all with ChatGPT’s assistance.
For more complex projects, such as designing a backyard garden or selecting art for a new apartment, group chats facilitate collaboration on design concepts, preferences, and styles. ChatGPT can provide suggestions, compile feedback, and help visualize ideas, making the planning process more efficient and cohesive.
In professional settings, group chats can streamline teamwork by enabling members to draft outlines, research topics, and share resources. ChatGPT can summarize articles, organize notes, and assist in creating comprehensive reports, enhancing productivity and ensuring all team members are aligned.
How to Initiate a Group Chat
Starting a group chat is straightforward. Users can tap the people icon in the top right corner of any new or existing chat. Adding participants to an existing chat creates a new group conversation, preserving the original one-on-one dialogue. Invitations can be sent via a shareable link, allowing up to twenty people to join. Each participant sets up a profile with their name, username, and photo, ensuring clarity about who is contributing to the conversation.
Group chats are accessible on both mobile and web platforms for logged-in ChatGPT users across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans in the specified regions. This inclusivity ensures that a broad user base can experience and provide feedback on the new feature.
Enhanced Interaction with ChatGPT
Within group chats, ChatGPT exhibits advanced social behaviors. It monitors the flow of conversation, determining when to interject and when to remain silent, based on the context. Users can directly prompt ChatGPT by mentioning it in a message. Additionally, ChatGPT can react to messages with emojis and reference profile photos, adding a personalized touch to interactions. For example, when asked to create personalized images, ChatGPT can incorporate group members’ photos, making the experience more engaging.
The group chat feature operates on the GPT-5.1 Auto model, which selects the optimal response model based on the prompt and the user’s subscription plan. Features such as search, image and file uploads, image generation, and dictation are enabled, providing a comprehensive toolkit for collaboration. Importantly, rate limits apply only when ChatGPT responds, not to messages exchanged between users, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted discussions.
Privacy and Control Measures
OpenAI has prioritized user privacy and control in the development of group chats. These conversations are separate from private chats, and personal ChatGPT memory is not shared with other participants. ChatGPT does not create new memories from group chats, safeguarding individual privacy. Users have the option to accept or decline invitations to join group chats and can leave at any time. Group members can manage settings, such as naming the group, adding or removing participants, and muting notifications, providing flexibility and control over the chat environment.
For younger users under 18, additional safeguards are in place. ChatGPT automatically reduces exposure to sensitive content within group chats, and parents or guardians can disable the group chat feature entirely through parental controls, ensuring a safe and appropriate experience for all users.
Future Prospects
The introduction of group chats is a significant step toward making ChatGPT a shared space for collaboration and interaction. OpenAI plans to expand this feature to more regions and user plans, incorporating feedback from the initial pilot phase. As ChatGPT continues to evolve, it aims to become an even more effective partner in group conversations, assisting users in generating ideas, making decisions, and expressing creativity collectively.
