OpenAI Rolls Out Global ChatGPT Group Chat Feature
Key Points
- ChatGPT group chat is now available worldwide for all subscription tiers.
- Each group can include up to 20 participants who join via invite or shareable link.
- Personal settings and memory stay private for each user, even within shared chats.
- Users can tag "ChatGPT" to trigger AI responses and use emoji reactions.
- The feature shifts ChatGPT from a solo assistant to a collaborative workspace.
- OpenAI highlights use cases like trip planning, co‑authoring, and decision making.
- The rollout follows pilot programs in Japan and New Zealand.
- OpenAI recently released GPT‑5.1 and the social video app Sora.
OpenAI announced that ChatGPT's group chat capability is now available worldwide to users of all subscription tiers. The rollout follows pilot programs in select regions and expands collaborative possibilities, allowing up to 20 participants to converse together while each person's settings and memory remain private. Users can add others via invites or shareable links, tag the AI to intervene, and even use emoji reactions. OpenAI frames the update as a shift from a single‑user assistant to a shared workspace, promising new ways to plan trips, co‑write documents, and make decisions together.
Global Launch Expands Collaborative AI
OpenAI confirmed that ChatGPT’s group chat function is now live for all users across its Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. The company had previously piloted the feature in a handful of regions, including Japan and New Zealand, before extending it globally. This expansion transforms the chatbot from a one‑on‑one conversational partner into a shared environment where friends, families, or coworkers can collaborate in real time.
Each group can host up to twenty participants, provided each member accepts an invitation. Invitations can be sent directly within the app or shared through a link. When joining, users are prompted to create a brief profile featuring a name, username, and photo. Despite the shared conversation space, OpenAI emphasizes that personal settings and memory remain private to each participant.
How Group Chats Work
To start a group chat, users tap the people icon, add participants, and optionally share a link. Adding new members creates a fresh conversation thread, preserving the original chat unchanged. Within the group, participants can tag “ChatGPT” to prompt the AI to respond, ensuring it intervenes only when needed. The AI can also react to messages with emojis and reference profile photos, adding a layer of interactivity.
OpenAI notes that the AI knows when to stay quiet and when to engage, allowing human users to steer the discussion. The platform supports collaborative tasks such as trip planning, co‑authoring documents, comparing options, and resolving debates, with ChatGPT handling search, summarization, and recommendation functions.
Strategic Positioning and Future Plans
The rollout aligns with OpenAI’s broader vision of turning ChatGPT into a more social and collaborative platform. In recent communications, the company described group chats as the first step toward a “collaborative environment” rather than a solitary experience. OpenAI also referenced its recent release of GPT‑5.1, which features both Instant and Thinking model versions, and its social video app Sora, highlighting a broader push into interactive and community‑focused AI products.
Industry observers see the move as part of OpenAI’s effort to deepen user engagement and expand the utility of its AI across everyday tasks. By enabling multiple users to work together with a shared AI assistant, OpenAI aims to make ChatGPT a central hub for collaborative decision‑making and creativity.
Key Takeaways
OpenAI’s global launch of group chat capabilities marks a significant evolution for ChatGPT, positioning the AI as a collaborative tool for diverse user groups. The feature’s privacy safeguards, flexible invitation system, and interactive AI responses underscore a design focused on both utility and user control. As the AI continues to integrate into social and productivity workflows, the group chat function is poised to become a cornerstone of OpenAI’s expanding ecosystem.