OpenAI officially rolled out group chat functionality for all ChatGPT users on Thursday, expanding the feature globally across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. This wide release follows a successful one-week pilot program conducted in select regions, including Japan and New Zealand.
From Personal Assistant to Collaborative Workspace
The update marks a significant shift in ChatGPT’s utility, evolving the platform from a one-on-one assistant into a dynamic environment for teamwork. OpenAI designed this feature to facilitate collaboration among friends, family, and colleagues, enabling them to plan projects, draft documents, settle debates, or conduct research within a single, shared conversation.
Up to 20 participants can join a group chat once they accept an invitation. To ensure privacy, OpenAI maintains that individual settings and personal memory remain unique to each user, keeping personal data isolated within the shared space.
How to Initiate and Manage Group Chats
Starting a session is straightforward: users simply tap the “people” icon to add participants, either by direct invitation or via a shared link. Upon joining, participants are prompted to create a brief profile, including a name, username, and photo.
It is important to note that adding a new participant to an existing thread generates a fresh conversation, ensuring the original chat history remains untouched and private.
Intelligent Participation and AI Integration
OpenAI has programmed ChatGPT to handle group dynamics with nuance, deciding when to engage and when to remain passive. The AI can be summoned into the conversation by tagging “@ChatGPT.” Additionally, the model is capable of interacting with the group by reacting to messages with emojis and referencing user profile photos.
The Future of Collaborative AI
This rollout is part of a broader strategy to transform ChatGPT into a social and collaborative platform rather than a solitary, single-player experience. The company announced that they envision the AI playing an increasingly active role in real-time group interactions, assisting teams in planning, creative execution, and decision-making.
This expansion arrives shortly after OpenAI’s recent release of GPT‑5.1, which introduced both “Instant” and “Thinking” model variants. These updates follow the company’s September launch of Sora, a social-focused application that allows users to generate and share AI-powered videos on a dedicated feed.