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.
Why this matters
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:
- Work on shared projects: Everyone sees the same chat, documents or AI-generated images.
- Make decisions as a group: From “What’s our team name?” to “Where should we eat?”
- Blend productivity with play: The AI knows when to speak up, when to stay quiet, and can react to comments with emojis.
How ChatGPT group chatting works
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):
- Tap the people icon in the upper-right corner of any chat.
- Add 1–20 people by sharing a private link.
- Everyone sets a name, profile photo, and username, so you know who’s who.
- The group chat shows up in a separate section of the sidebar for easy access.
- If you invite someone to an existing chat, it creates a copy — so your original chat stays intact.
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.
Final thoughts
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.
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