OpenAI has rolled out group chats in ChatGPT to all global users, marking a major step in transforming the AI assistant from a one-on-one tool into a collaborative platform. The feature, now available to users on Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, allows up to 20 people to join a single conversation with ChatGPT. It follows a limited pilot in regions like Japan and New Zealand earlier this month. Group chats are designed to support real-world collaboration, enabling friends, family, or coworkers to plan events, draft documents, organize trips, or resolve debates together with AI assistance. To start a group, users tap the “people” icon in the top-right corner of the ChatGPT app, which creates a new shared conversation by copying an existing chat. Participants can be added via a shareable link, and each person must set up a profile with a name, username, and photo to personalize the experience. OpenAI emphasizes that group chats maintain user privacy. ChatGPT does not access or store memories from individual private chats, nor does it create new memories based on group interactions. Personal settings and data remain private to each user. The AI is trained to adapt to the flow of group discussions, knowing when to contribute and when to stay quiet. Users can directly mention “ChatGPT” in a message to prompt a response, and the AI can react to messages with emojis or reference profile photos when generating personalized content, such as images. Users can manage group settings through the group chat icon, including adding or removing members, muting notifications, and assigning custom instructions to ChatGPT. These instructions help tailor the AI’s behavior to the group’s needs, such as maintaining a formal tone or focusing on creative brainstorming. ChatGPT uses GPT-5.1 Auto to power responses in group chats, automatically selecting the most appropriate model based on the prompt and available options. Importantly, rate limits only apply when ChatGPT sends a message, not when users are typing or sharing content. The launch signals OpenAI’s broader vision of turning ChatGPT into a dynamic, social workspace. The company sees group chats as the beginning of a more interactive, team-oriented AI experience where ChatGPT helps users plan, create, and take action together. This aligns with recent moves like the introduction of Sora, a social video app that lets users generate AI-powered videos of themselves and friends to share on a TikTok-style feed. The feature comes just weeks after OpenAI launched GPT-5.1, which introduced both Instant and Thinking modes for faster and deeper responses. With group chats, OpenAI is pushing beyond individual assistance toward a more integrated, collaborative AI environment. While the feature enhances productivity and creativity, it also raises questions about privacy, moderation, and the long-term role of AI in group dynamics. Still, OpenAI views this as a pivotal moment in making ChatGPT a shared space for collective intelligence. As the AI landscape evolves, group chats represent a significant shift—turning ChatGPT from a solo assistant into a co-pilot for teams, families, and communities.