According to Neowin, OpenAI just dropped a major update that lets ChatGPT users create group chats with up to twenty participants. The new feature allows direct sharing via links and requires users to set up profiles with names, usernames, and photos when joining their first group. All the usual ChatGPT capabilities including search, file uploads, image generation, and dictation work in these collaborative spaces. The responses are powered by OpenAI’s new GPT-5.1 Auto model that selects the best available model based on prompts and user subscriptions. Crucially, rate limits only apply when ChatGPT responds, not to messages between human participants. This group chat experience is currently rolling out exclusively to ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Why This Matters
This is basically OpenAI’s answer to the collaboration features we’ve seen popping up everywhere. Think about it – Google has had collaborative features in Workspace forever, Microsoft has Teams, and even smaller AI players are building shared workspaces. But here’s the thing: ChatGPT bringing group chats directly into their interface changes the game for casual AI users. It’s not just another productivity tool for corporate environments – this feels more like bringing AI into your friend group chat or study session.
The Smart Touches
The social behavior tweaks are actually pretty clever. ChatGPT won’t automatically respond to everything – it follows the conversation and decides when to jump in. Users can force a response by mentioning ChatGPT, and the emoji reactions make it feel more human. But honestly, the custom instructions per group chat might be the killer feature. Imagine having one setup for work brainstorming and another for casual conversations with friends – that’s some serious flexibility.
Competitive Landscape
This puts immediate pressure on platforms like Slack, Discord, and even WhatsApp that are gradually adding AI features. OpenAI’s move suggests they see ChatGPT evolving from a personal assistant into a collaborative platform. The limited regional rollout is classic tech strategy – test in smaller markets before going global. But you have to wonder how long until we see similar features from Google’s Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude. The race to make AI collaborative just got real.
What’s Next
The four-market rollout feels conservative, but that’s probably smart given how social dynamics can vary across cultures. Once they iron out the kinks, expect this to hit the US and Europe within months. The bigger question is whether this becomes a premium feature or stays available to free users. For now, it’s included across all tiers, but you know how these things go. Basically, if you’re outside those four countries, you’ll just have to wait your turn while OpenAI perfects the group chat experience.
