ChatGPT to group chats for colleagues & families

CALIFORNIA: OpenAI has begun a pilot test of a new group chat feature for ChatGPT in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. The option allows users to create shared conversations where ChatGPT participates alongside multiple people.

In these conversations, the assistant is able to help with trip planning, renovation ideas, and finding restaurants that fit everybody’s tastes. It is also able to aid with school or work projects by organizing the reports from the notes and files shared in the group.

How the New Feature Works

Users can start a group chat by tapping the people icon in the top-right corner of the screen while inside a new or existing conversation.

If the feature is started from an existing chat, ChatGPT creates a new thread, so history stays private. Users can add participants manually or via a link, and up to 20 people can join. Each individual must make a profile, which includes a name, username, and photo.

ChatGPT group chats support the same set of tools found in one-on-one conversations, including file uploads, image generation, and search. Anyone with an invite link can bring others into the chat unless the creator restricts this.

Members can mute or remove others at any time, though the creator cannot be removed. When someone under 18 is part of the group, ChatGPT automatically limits sensitive content for all participants.

Model Behind the Feature

The conversations run on GPT-5.1 Auto, which picks the best model for a particular prompt and user intent. According to OpenAI, the assistant is trained to reply like a human in natural group conversation, knowing when to keep quiet and when to speak up. Users can also invoke the assistant directly by referring to “ChatGPT.”

OpenAI says that group chats are independent of private chats and do not share personal ChatGPT memory across participants. Additional user controls are under consideration as the feature continues to evolve.

Parental control settings also allow guardians to disable access to group chat altogether for younger users. For now, the pilot is limited to four regions, with availability on both free and paid ChatGPT plans. OpenAI will be refining the feature, based on feedback from early testers, before expanding availability to more countries.