rewrite this title OpenAI is piloting group conversations in ChatGPT

OpenAI has started pilot testing group chats within ChatGPT in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. Like group chats in messaging apps, you can create conversations with friends and family. In this instance, though, ChatGPT is one of the participants, building an itinerary as you plan a vacation, giving you ideas for renovation projects or helping you find a restaurant everyone in the chat would enjoy if you’re planning a night out. You can also use the feature to collaborate with classmates or colleagues. ChatGPT, for example, can outline reports based on the articles and notes you and your collaborator give it.

To start a group chat, you have to tap on the people icon at the top right corner of the screen on any new and existing conversation. ChatGPT will create a new conversation without your chat history if you start from an existing chat. You can then add people or share a link to the group conversation with one to 20 persons, who then have to set up a profile with their name, username and a photo. Take note that anybody who has the link can invite people in, and participants can mute or remove other participants from the chat anytime except for the group creator. And if anybody in the chat is under 18, the chatbot automatically limits sensitive content for everyone.

Group chat responses are powered by GPT‑5.1 Auto, which can choose which model to respond with based on the prompt. OpenAI says it taught the chatbot to follow the flow of group conversations, so it knows when to stay quiet and when to respond, but participants can always summon the chatbot by mentioning “ChatGPT.” The company also says that it will continue tweaking the feature based on feedback from early users before it’s rolled out widely.