ChatGPT Expands Group Chats to Japan, New Zealand, South Korea & Taiwan
▼ Summary
– OpenAI has launched a group chat feature for ChatGPT, currently in pilot testing in select regions including Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan.
– The feature is available to Free, Plus, and Team users on mobile and web, supporting 1 to 20 people per group with invitation-only access and privacy safeguards.
– Group chats function like regular ChatGPT conversations, with GPT handling responses and offering features like search, image generation, file uploads, and dictation.
– ChatGPT has been enhanced with social skills for group interactions, such as knowing when to respond, reacting with emojis, and using profile photos for personalized images.
– This update is part of OpenAI’s shift toward creating a shared experience, following recent developments like the Sora 2 social media app for AI-generated videos.
OpenAI has officially launched a new group chat capability for ChatGPT, now available to users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. This feature allows multiple people to collaborate in real time within the same chat window, marking a significant expansion of the platform’s interactive potential. Available across Free, Plus, and Team subscription tiers on both mobile and web, the pilot program aims to study how groups use conversational AI in shared settings.
The introduction of group chats is part of a broader strategy to evolve ChatGPT into a more collaborative and socially interactive tool. OpenAI describes the current rollout as an initial experiment, with plans to refine and expand the offering based on user input. Early participants are encouraged to share their experiences, which will directly influence future updates and wider geographic availability.
Privacy remains a central focus in the design of group chats. Individual conversations and personal ChatGPT memory settings remain entirely private. Group chats operate on an invitation-only basis, and members have the freedom to leave whenever they choose. While most participants can remove others, only the original creator can voluntarily exit a group. For younger users under 18, additional content filters and parental controls are automatically applied to ensure a safe environment.
Getting started with a group chat is straightforward. Users simply tap the people icon and invite others either by direct selection or by sharing an access link. Groups can include anywhere from one to twenty participants. If someone new is added to an existing conversation, a separate group is automatically created, preserving the original chat history. Each group is assigned a short profile and appears in a clearly labeled sidebar for quick navigation.
Functionally, group chats operate much like standard ChatGPT sessions, but with multiple human contributors. The AI, powered by GPT‑5.1 Auto, provides responses and supports features including web search, image generation, file uploads, and voice dictation. Importantly, usage limits for ChatGPT responses apply only when the AI replies, messages exchanged between human users do not count toward hourly caps.
ChatGPT has also been equipped with new social capabilities tailored for group dynamics. It can recognize appropriate moments to contribute or remain silent, and users can prompt a response by tagging “ChatGPT” directly. The AI can react using emojis and even generate personalized images using participants’ profile photos, adding a visual element to the interaction.
This group chat feature represents the latest move in OpenAI’s ongoing effort to shift from a standalone AI assistant toward a more integrated, social platform. In a related development, the company recently introduced Sora 2, a dedicated social media application featuring a TikTok-like feed for sharing AI-generated videos. That platform includes algorithmic content recommendations, location-based features, parental controls, and direct messaging, further underscoring the social direction of OpenAI’s product roadmap.
(Source: TechCrunch)
