After apparently a successful testing period, OpenAI has announced that it is rolling out group chat in ChatGPT to all logged-in users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans globally in the coming days. The company first began testing the way to collaborate directly with colleagues inside ChatGPIT in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan about a week ago.
Once you start a chat in ChatGPT you can invite other people to join (up to 20 in the chat), either from their existing ChatGPT account, or from the account they create after clicking the invite link. Apart from being able to prompt ChatGPT together and respond to each other’s messages, group chat features appear to be intentionally limited. OpenAI says that the contents of group chats are not stored in ChatGPT’s memory, and that any user can be removed from the chat by anyone, except the creator.
OpenAI was reportedly working on its own version of text-based social media feeds in April. That X competitor hasn’t materialized yet, but the company has moved against social features in other ways.
For example, the Sora app that OpenAI launched in September competes directly with TikTok in terms of form and ability to provide passive entertainment. The group chat in ChatGPTT may not replace an app like Messenger, but it offers an AI messaging experience similar to what Instagram is playing with with Meta, and using a chatbot is a lot more like it for the average person.