ChatGPT Pilot Group Chats Launch in Asia-Pacific

OpenAI Introduces Collaborative Chat for ChatGPT

OpenAI announced the rollout of a group chat functionality for ChatGPT on Thursday. This new feature is currently undergoing testing in a limited number of geographical locations, specifically Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, enabling users to engage in collaborative interactions directly within the application.

Availability and Purpose of the Pilot Program

The group chat capability is accessible to users across all subscription tiers – Free, Plus, and Team – on both mobile devices and web browsers. OpenAI states that the initial rollout serves as a pilot program to observe and understand how users leverage group conversations within the ChatGPT environment.

This development follows previous reports indicating that OpenAI had been evaluating a direct messaging system.

A Step Towards Shared Experiences

OpenAI characterizes this pilot as an initial, modest step towards fostering a more “shared experience” within the app. Feedback from early adopters will be crucial in shaping the feature’s future development and expansion to additional regions and service offerings.

Privacy and Safety Measures

OpenAI emphasizes that individual chats and personal ChatGPT memory remain entirely private. Group chats are exclusively invitation-based, and members retain the ability to leave at their discretion.

While most participants have the authority to remove others, the group’s originator can only voluntarily exit. For users under the age of 18, content filtering is implemented, alongside enhanced safeguards and parental control options.

Initiating and Managing Group Chats

Creating a group chat is straightforward. Users can simply select the people icon and add participants, either directly or by sharing a unique invitation link. Groups can accommodate between one and twenty individuals.

Adding someone to an existing chat initiates a new group, preserving the integrity of the original conversation. Each group is assigned a concise profile, and all chats are conveniently organized within a labeled sidebar for easy navigation.

Functionality and Usage Limits

Group chats function similarly to standard ChatGPT conversations, but with the added dimension of multiple participants. GPT‑5.1 Auto manages responses and incorporates features like search, image generation, file uploads, and dictation.

Importantly, ChatGPT’s usage limits – which govern the number of AI responses a user can receive per hour – are only applied when ChatGPT itself responds. Communications between human participants do not contribute to these limits.

Enhanced Social Interaction

ChatGPT has been equipped with new social capabilities tailored for group chats, allowing it to discern when to contribute and when to remain silent. Users can directly solicit a response from ChatGPT by tagging its name.

Furthermore, it can express reactions using emojis and utilize profile photos to generate personalized images for the conversation.

Evolution Towards a Social Platform

The introduction of group chats signifies the latest phase in OpenAI’s ongoing evolution from a standalone AI assistant towards a platform with social networking elements.

In late September, the company launched Sora 2, a dedicated social media application featuring a TikTok-inspired feed for sharing AI-generated videos, complete with algorithmic recommendations, parental controls, and direct messaging features.