OpenAI launches WhatsApp like Group Chats feature for ChatGPT: here’s how it works

OpenAI’s ambitions of creating an everything app are no longer in hiding as the San Francisco-based AI startup announced on Friday that it is adding a Group Chats feature to ChatGPT. Notably, this is not OpenAI’s first attempt at adding a social component to its AI work. Just a few weeks back, the Microsoft-backed company announced its TikTok-like AI-generated short-videos app called Sora, which has since gone viral on iOS and is yet to make its debut on Android.

The new feature is currently in pilot stage and is rolling out to ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus and Pro users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. The company says it plans to learn from early feedback and expand the feature to more regions in the future.

How will the Group Chat feature work?

Group chats allow users to bring their friends into the same conversation with ChatGPT. So, in case you are planning a trip with your friends, you can create a group where your friends are joined by ChatGPT, and the AI can help choose a destination that everyone approves.

Notably, Meta already offers a similar feature in WhatsApp, where users can summon its AI not just in group chats but even in personal conversations. However, all the conversations users have with Meta AI are used to target ads and personalise content.

As for its Group Chat feature, OpenAI says it is helpful for group decisions like finding a restaurant or settling a debate, where ChatGPT could act as an impartial referee.

OpenAI says users can also share articles, notes and questions while asking ChatGPT to summarise and organise information.

To start a group chat, users can tap on the people icon in the top-right corner of an existing chat. When a user adds a friend to an existing chat, ChatGPT creates a copy of the conversation as a new group chat so that the original conversation stays separate.

Similar to WhatsApp, users can also share a link with up to twenty people to join the group chat.

“When you join or create your first group chat, you’ll be asked to set up a short profile with your name, username, and photo so everyone knows who’s in the conversation. Group chats can be found in a new clearly labelled section of the sidebar for easy access,” OpenAI explained in its blog post.