ChatGPT has always felt like a typical chat app—except one side of the conversation is powered by artificial intelligence. Since going viral in late 2022, OpenAI has continuously upgraded ChatGPT’s underlying models and added new features, including voice interaction. Still, at its core, ChatGPT remains a one-on-one chat tool. Unlike mainstream apps such as iMessage or WhatsApp, it lacks common features like group chats. That, however, might soon change.
Recent leaks suggest that OpenAI is preparing to launch group chat functionality in ChatGPT—giving users a glimpse of what the next phase of AI-powered communication could look like.
A look at the leaked group chat feature
AI enthusiast Tibor Blaho, known for uncovering unreleased features across AI platforms, shared early screenshots on X (formerly Twitter) showing group chat functionality within the ChatGPT app. While there’s no official release timeline, these leaks hint that OpenAI could introduce the feature sooner than expected.
The screenshots reveal a new “Start a group chat” button in the web interface’s top-right corner. Tapping it generates a shareable link that lets others join the conversation. Each group will have a name and appear in a new “Group chats” section in the sidebar. Participants joining later will be able to view previous messages, making it easy to catch up on ongoing discussions.
Customization and collaborative tools
Blaho’s findings also show that group creators can define dedicated Custom Instructions that apply only to that conversation—independent of personal ones. ChatGPT memories won’t carry over, ensuring privacy and a fresh context for each group.
Hosts can choose how ChatGPT participates: automatically responding to messages or only when mentioned by name. The latter option keeps AI contributions relevant without overwhelming the chat
with constant replies.
According to the leaks, group chats will support modern messaging features like message reactions, threaded replies, typing indicators, file uploads, image generation, and web searches. Users will also have tools to report messages for safety and moderation. It remains unclear whether this feature will roll out to all users or only to those on a paid ChatGPT plan.
Sam Altman’s vision for smarter team chat
Interestingly, the leak coincides with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s recent comments about Slack—one of today’s most widely used team communication tools. Altman remarked that he suspects Slack “creates a lot of fake work,” hinting that OpenAI could offer a more productive alternative.
He described a future where AI agents collaborate within messaging platforms, handling routine coordination and escalating meaningful issues to human teammates when needed. ChatGPT’s upcoming group chat feature could represent an early step toward that vision.
However, this initial version doesn’t yet align with the “agentic” experience Altman discussed on the Conversations with Tyler podcast last week. As he admitted, OpenAI is “very far” from delivering that fully autonomous, AI-driven team communication model—but ChatGPT group chats could be an important milestone along the way.
