11-15-2025

ChatGPT Pilot Launches Group Chats in Asia

Try ChatGPT’s new 20-person group chats powered by GPT-5.1 PLUS: NotebookLM, Meta Marketplace AI, and US AI strategy debate

Good morning, AI enthusiasts. OpenAI has introduced a pilot for ChatGPT that enables up to 20 participants to collaborate in group chats powered by GPT-5.1 across select Asia-Pacific countries. This collective conversation format adds emoji reactions and options to control AI involvement, marking a notable shift from ChatGPT’s solo user experience.

This new feature aims to embed AI deeper into team workflows, potentially reshaping how groups brainstorm and make decisions together. As OpenAI tests these capabilities in diverse workplaces, it raises the question: how will real-time AI collaboration change productivity across industries?

In today’s AI recap:

  • OpenAI launches ChatGPT group chats pilot in Asia-Pacific
  • Google NotebookLM expands multi-file research support
  • Meta enhances Facebook Marketplace with AI collaboration tools
  • Databricks co-founder calls for open-source AI strategy in US

AI Collaboration: ChatGPT Group Chats Pilot in Asia

Editor's Comments:
OpenAI's new ChatGPT group chat feature ushers AI collaboration into a social, multi-user format. This update opens fresh opportunities for professionals to brainstorm and coordinate projects in real time with AI assistance, especially relevant for teams exploring next-level productivity.

The Recap: OpenAI launched a pilot allowing up to 20 users to interact in a shared ChatGPT conversation powered by GPT-5.1. The feature supports emoji reactions and lets users decide when AI joins the chat. This pilot runs in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand.

Unpacked:

  • This group chat feature turns ChatGPT from a solo assistant into a tool for live teamwork, letting users brainstorm, plan, and solve problems together with AI support.
  • Users can react with emojis and selectively include AI responses in the conversation, giving everyone control over how AI participates.
  • The pilot’s Asia-Pacific focus highlights OpenAI's strategy to test social collaboration features where responsiveness and group workflows drive innovation.

Bottom line: ChatGPT’s group chats enhance team productivity by embedding AI into collaborative spaces, streamlining shared creativity and real-time decision-making. Professionals exploring AI-aided teamwork will find exciting new ways to get collective work done efficiently.

AI Tools: Google NotebookLM Expands Multi-File Support for Research

Editor's Comments:
Google’s NotebookLM just leveled up for deep research by bringing together your documents in one AI-powered workspace. This update shows how AI tools can help professionals tackle complex projects faster by integrating multiple sources and keeping everything organized in one place.
Editor, BDCbox

The Recap:
Google upgraded NotebookLM with expanded support for Sheets, Word documents, Drive files, PDFs, and images, allowing you to query your real project files and build evolving notebooks with AI-generated, source-backed summaries.

Unpacked:

  • NotebookLM now handles multiple file types, letting you work seamlessly across spreadsheets, documents, PDFs, and images without switching tools or losing context.
  • You can directly ask questions to your project files, and NotebookLM uses its "Deep Research" capabilities to provide structured, reliable, and traceable summaries inside your notebook.
  • The tool helps build an evolving research notebook that collects insights and updates over time — perfect for students, researchers, and professionals who need to manage complex information efficiently.

Bottom line:
NotebookLM’s integration of diverse file formats into a single AI workspace helps you automate your research workflow and reduce manual data wrangling. It offers a powerful step forward for anyone looking to stay organized and productive in knowledge-driven work.

AI Innovations in Social Commerce: Meta’s AI-Enhanced Facebook Marketplace

Editor's Comments:
Meta's latest update to Facebook Marketplace introduces AI tools that transform online shopping into a collaborative, interactive experience. This move showcases AI's growing role in helping professionals and consumers work smarter together in e-commerce environments.

The Recap: Meta boosts Facebook Marketplace with AI-powered features that enable shared listings, group chats with sellers, and smart question prompts to make shopping more social and insightful.

Unpacked:

  • The update lets users create shared collections of listings, allowing friends or colleagues to collaborate directly on selecting items and negotiating deals.
  • AI generates relevant question prompts automatically during buyer-seller chats, which speeds up information gathering and negotiation without manual effort.
  • Enhanced vehicle listings now come with AI-driven detailed insights to help buyers assess key attributes and make informed purchasing decisions faster.

Bottom line: Meta’s AI additions to Marketplace highlight how integrating collaboration and smart automation streamlines decision-making. This signals a new era where AI actively supports teamwork and efficiency in digital commerce.

AI Strategy Alert: Databricks Co-Founder Urges Open Source for US AI Leadership

Editor's Comments:
Innovation thrives on collaboration, especially in AI. Andy Konwinski's call for a US open-source AI strategy puts a spotlight on how embracing openness could keep American researchers competitive and creative. This discussion matters for professionals invested in the future of AI-driven productivity and innovation.

The Recap: Andy Konwinski, co-founder of Databricks, warns that without embracing open-source AI, the US risks falling behind China, where open innovation drives rapid progress.

Unpacked:

  • China’s AI ecosystem encourages open innovation, fueling breakthroughs through shared access to tools and collaboration.
  • Konwinski believes the US must renew efforts to openly exchange ideas and resources among researchers to stay competitive.
  • Open-source development not only accelerates innovation but also supports transparency, fairness, and democratic access to AI technologies.

Bottom line: Staying competitive in AI depends on unlocking collaboration and sharing knowledge openly. For entrepreneurs and developers, embracing open-source tools could be key to building the next wave of efficient, groundbreaking AI applications.

The Shortlist

SideTab puts a collapsible AI-powered sidebar on macOS that integrates Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for quick multitasking without overloading Safari, enhancing workflow with customizable shortcuts and seamless AI access.

OpenAI sparks controversy as its Sora 2 video tool floods social media with fatphobic and racist AI-generated content, raising urgent questions about ethical oversight, content moderation, and the societal impact of rapid AI video creation.

Mozilla launches an opt-in AI assistant window called AI Window in Firefox, offering users on-demand AI help that summarizes pages and fetches info while preserving browsing privacy by avoiding always-on AI interruptions.

LinkedIn introduces an AI-powered people search feature for Premium members, letting users find professionals based on conversational prompts like career goals or skills rather than job titles, turning networking into a goal-oriented AI chat experience.

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