OpenAI, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence startup behind ChatGPT, has started testing a new Group Chat feature that allows multiple users to talk with the chatbot in the same conversation.
The move marks yet another step towards making ChatGPT more interactive and social, at a time when the company is experimenting with features that push it closer to an all-in-one digital platform.
The feature lets users bring their friends into a single chat alongside ChatGPT. Imagine planning a group trip or picking a restaurant — ChatGPT can now join the conversation, suggest ideas, and even help settle debates. Users can share notes, links, or questions, and ask ChatGPT to summarise or organise the information for everyone.
The option appears under a small “people” icon in the corner of an existing chat. When a friend is added, ChatGPT creates a separate copy of the conversation as a new group chat, keeping the original thread intact. Each participant can set up a short profile with their name, username, and picture so everyone knows who’s in the discussion.
According to OpenAI, users can share a link with up to twenty people to join the chat, and the feature is designed to make collaborative decision-making simpler — whether for travel plans, group projects, or casual debates.
The Group Chat feature is currently in its pilot phase. It’s being rolled out to ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. OpenAI said it will monitor early feedback from these regions before expanding to more markets. No timeline has been announced yet for a global release.
The company described this rollout as an “experiment” meant to learn how people use ChatGPT when it becomes a shared, real-time assistant instead of a solo conversation tool.
This isn’t OpenAI’s first step towards adding a social layer to its tools. The company recently unveiled Sora, a TikTok-style app for AI-generated short videos that went viral on iOS. While Sora focuses on creative content, Group Chats brings the AI into everyday conversations — something closer to how people use messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Meta already allows users to chat with its AI assistant inside WhatsApp groups, but those interactions are used to personalise ads and recommendations. OpenAI, meanwhile, says conversations in ChatGPT group chats won’t be used for advertising purposes.
The new feature aims to transform ChatGPT from a one-on-one assistant into a shared space for collaboration, possibly even a future “everything app”.
