OpenAI has begun piloting a new “Group Chats” feature, allowing multiple users to collaborate with each other and with ChatGPT in a single, shared conversation. In its announcement, the company stated the feature is designed for planning, making decisions, or working through ideas together. The pilot is currently available for all logged-in ChatGPT users, including free and paid plans, in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. (Update: It’s now available worldwide.)
How group collaboration works
Users can start a group chat by selecting a new people icon in any chat. According to OpenAI, up to twenty people can be invited to a conversation via a shareable link. When joining, participants are asked to create a short profile with a name, username, and photo. These shared conversations are kept in a separate, clearly labeled section of the user’s sidebar.
OpenAI suggests several use cases, such as planning a trip with friends, collaborating on a work project, or making group decisions like choosing a restaurant. The feature is powered by GPT-5.1 Auto, which automatically selects the most suitable model based on the prompt and the plan of the user it is responding to. Tools like search, image generation, and file uploads are enabled within the chats. OpenAI notes that message rate limits only apply to responses from ChatGPT, not to messages between human users.
The company also stated that it has taught ChatGPT new social behaviors for group settings. The model can follow the flow of a conversation to decide when to participate, or it can be addressed directly by mentioning its name. It can also react to messages with emojis and use members’ profile photos to create personalized images upon request.
Privacy and availability
OpenAI emphasized that privacy was a key consideration in the feature’s design. Group chats are separate from a user’s private conversations, and the personal ChatGPT memory feature is not used or updated in these chats. Participation is by invitation only, and all members can see who is in the group or leave at any time. For users under 18, ChatGPT automatically filters sensitive content, and parents are given the option to disable the feature entirely.
The rollout follows similar collaborative features from competitors such as Microsoft Copilot. Currently, OpenAI has not indicated whether Group Chats will be made available to developers via an API.
Sources: OpenAI, VentureBeat
