OpenAI Pilots ChatGPT Group Chats in Select Regions, User Interest Surges

OpenAI has commenced piloting a new group chat feature for its popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, enabling users to collaborate with both each other and the AI within a shared conversational space. The pilot program is currently rolling out in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, available to logged-in users across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. The announcement has sparked immediate user interest, as evidenced by individuals like Andrew, who publicly requested access to the beta program, stating, "> please add me to the chatGPT group chats beta @OpenAI @OpenAIDevs 🙏."

This new functionality allows up to 20 participants to join a single conversation, with invitations extended via a shareable link. Upon joining their first group chat, users are prompted to create a brief profile, including a name, username, and photo, to facilitate identification among participants. Group chats are distinctly separated from personal conversations, ensuring that individual ChatGPT memories remain private and are not shared within the group.

The group chat experience is powered by GPT-5.1 Auto, which intelligently selects the most suitable model for responses based on the prompt and the subscription plans of the participating users. ChatGPT has been designed with new "social behaviors" for these group settings, allowing it to discern when to interject or remain silent, responding automatically or only when directly mentioned. The feature supports rich collaborative tools, including web search, file uploads, image generation, and dictation.

OpenAI emphasizes privacy and control in the design of this feature. Personal ChatGPT memory is not utilized in group chats, and new memories are not created from these interactions. Furthermore, for users under 18, ChatGPT automatically implements content filters to reduce exposure to sensitive material, with parental controls available to disable the feature entirely.

This pilot represents a foundational step towards making ChatGPT a more collaborative and interactive platform. OpenAI plans to gather feedback from early adopters to refine the experience and determine future expansion to additional regions and subscription tiers, aiming to evolve ChatGPT into a shared space for collective problem-solving and creative expression.