ChatGPT is testing a mysterious new feature called ‘study together’

In a significant development for the landscape of artificial intelligence in education, subscribers to OpenAI’s ChatGPT are reporting the appearance of a mysterious new feature within their toolset: “Study Together.” This mode, currently in what appears to be a limited pilot, hints at a strategic evolution for the popular chatbot, aiming to redefine its role from a direct answer-provider to a more interactive and guiding educational companion.

The “Study Together” mode is reportedly designed to enhance ChatGPT’s utility as an educational tool. Unlike its traditional function of directly generating responses, early observations suggest this new feature prompts users with questions, requiring human input and critical thinking in return. This interactive approach positions “Study Together” as OpenAI’s potential answer to similar initiatives, such as Google’s LearnLM, which focuses on personalized, interactive learning experiences powered by AI.

Speculation is also rife regarding the potential for a multi-human study group mode within this new feature, allowing multiple users to collaborate with the AI in a shared learning environment. While OpenAI has not yet issued an official statement regarding “Study Together,” a direct query to ChatGPT itself revealed, “OpenAI hasn’t officially announced when or if Study Together will be available to all users — or if it will require ChatGPT Plus.” This internal response further underscores the feature’s experimental nature.

The emergence of “Study Together” is particularly noteworthy given ChatGPT’s already pervasive, albeit often controversial, presence in academic settings. Educators leverage the AI for tasks like crafting lesson plans, while students utilize it as a personal tutor. However, its capacity to generate complete essays has also raised significant concerns about academic integrity, with some voices even suggesting that AI could be “killing” higher education by facilitating “cheating.”

In this context, “Study Together” could represent a deliberate move by OpenAI to steer ChatGPT towards more constructive and ethically sound applications in education. By fostering active engagement and critical thinking rather than passive content generation, the feature has the potential to encourage genuine learning and significantly discourage illicit academic practices. The appearance of this feature has already garnered attention on social media, with users like Liem Do sharing screenshots of the “Study Together” option within their ChatGPT interfaces, sparking further discussion across platforms like X (formerly Twitter) regarding its purpose and implications.