From Group Chats to Global Lawsuits: The Wild Transformation of OpenAI in 2025

Artificial intelligence has always moved fast — but OpenAI in 2025 is moving at a pace that feels almost chaotic. It’s the kind of moment in tech history where breakthrough announcements collide with intense legal battles, billion-dollar risks, and controversial public statements. On one side, OpenAI is introducing features that can reshape how teams collaborate, how companies operate, and even how individuals manage their health. On the other, it’s facing mounting pressure from copyright lawsuits, regulatory scrutiny, and financial burn rates that would terrify most corporations.

This article takes you through every major twist and turn: the discovery of ChatGPT Group Chats, OpenAI’s bold dive into healthcare, its first major copyright defeat in Europe, the backlash over its trillion-dollar chip plan, the staggering cost of Sora, and the rise of Anthropic as a serious competitor.

Let’s take a deep breath — and start with the feature that could change how millions of people use ChatGPT every single day.


1. ChatGPT Group Chats and a New Health App

Before jumping into the step-by-step details, it’s important to understand why this development has become one of the most anticipated features in the ChatGPT ecosystem. For years, ChatGPT has been a one-to-one experience — one user, one chat window. But teamwork doesn’t happen in isolation, and many users have long wished they could bring colleagues, friends, or collaborators into the same AI-driven conversation.

OpenAI seems to be listening.

1.1 What Are ChatGPT Group Chats?

OpenAI is quietly preparing a feature called Group Chats, a concept that brings multiple human participants into the same ChatGPT conversation. Imagine a scenario where:

  • A team of developers is brainstorming architecture
  • Students are working together on a research project
  • A business is planning a marketing campaign
  • A startup is drafting a pitch deck with the help of AI

All of this can happen in a shared chat feed where everyone sees the same AI responses in real time.

Why this matters

Let’s reflect for a moment: collaboration tools like Slack, Teams, and Notion changed how teams communicate. But none of them integrate AI in a “live conversation” format the way ChatGPT can. The ability for multiple people to jointly instruct the AI — and receive contextual, dynamic responses — could completely redefine productivity.

And OpenAI isn’t just copying Microsoft Copilot’s shared sessions. It’s going significantly deeper.


1.2 What Makes OpenAI’s Version Different?

Let’s move to the next point and explore how OpenAI is giving users far more control compared to existing tools.**

OpenAI’s internal prototypes reportedly allow:

• Custom System Prompts For Each Group

Users can set unique rules for how ChatGPT behaves inside that specific group. For example:

  • “Behave like a neutral moderator in this team discussion.”
  • “Only provide code examples when asked explicitly.”
  • “Respond in bullet points unless told otherwise.”

This level of customization gives teams the ability to tune ChatGPT’s personality and role to match their workflow.

• AI Response Settings

You can decide:

  • Should ChatGPT respond automatically?
  • Or only when someone @mentions it?
  • Or should it stay mostly silent unless needed?

This is the kind of flexibility that solves the biggest problem with group AI — too much noise.

• Adjustable AI Presence

Want the AI to be fully active like a co-worker?
Or barely noticeable, chiming in only when asked?

Teams can now choose.

Why this is a game-changer

For teams that collaborate daily — design teams, product teams, engineering teams — this could replace countless meetings, brainstorming sessions, and long email threads.


1.3 When Will Group Chats Launch?

OpenAI has a pattern: major releases often arrive in December. Fans call it the “12 Days of OpenAI”, referring to the burst of product updates that historically drop near the end of the year.

If this tradition continues, Group Chats may arrive before the end of 2025.

But while OpenAI is expanding its collaboration features, it’s also moving into a sector few expected: healthcare.


2. OpenAI’s Big Leap Into AI Healthcare

So far, we’ve looked at collaboration and productivity. Now let’s take a step into a completely different territory — one that touches your daily life, wellness, and even medical decisions.

OpenAI is preparing to enter consumer healthcare, one of the most complex and sensitive domains in technology.

Before we break down the details, it’s worth noting why this move is such a surprise. Tech giants have tried to enter healthcare before — Google, Amazon, Microsoft — and most failed.

So what makes OpenAI believe it can succeed?


2.1 Why Healthcare?

OpenAI’s internal data shows something astonishing:
ChatGPT already sees nearly 800 million weekly active users — and a significant chunk of them use it for health advice.

Think about it. For years, people Googled symptoms. Now they ask ChatGPT.

OpenAI seems to recognize this shift and wants to create a safe, structured health companion rather than leaving users to rely on generic answers.


2.2 What Is OpenAI Building?

Let’s move to the next important question: what is this health product actually supposed to do?

Early reports suggest it may include:

• A personal AI health assistant

This would help with:

  • Medical questions
  • Nutrition guidance
  • Lifestyle insights
  • Basic symptom checks
  • Medication reminders

• A health data aggregator

This could connect to:

  • Wearable devices
  • Health records
  • Fitness apps
  • Sleep trackers

Imagine ChatGPT understanding your heart rate, sleep patterns, diet, and daily activities — then giving actionable recommendations.

• Streamlined access to care

Potential integrations may include:

  • Telehealth services
  • Appointment scheduling
  • Documenting medical history
  • Preparing diagnostic summaries

This is the most ambitious direction OpenAI has taken outside pure conversational AI.


2.3 Why Might OpenAI Succeed Where Others Failed?

Here’s something interesting:
People tend to follow the tools they already trust.

  • They googled health issues because they trusted Google.
  • Now they ask ChatGPT because it feels more personal and conversational.

If OpenAI can ensure medically accurate answers, it may find its strongest new market yet.

But just as the company explores new territory, it’s getting hit hard from another direction — the legal world.


3. The Copyright Defeat That Shocked Europe

Before diving into the legal details, let’s set the stage.
For years, artists, writers, publishers, and musicians have asked a simple question:

“Did AI companies train on our copyrighted content without permission?”

2025 brought one of the first major legal answers — and it wasn’t good news for OpenAI.


3.1 What Happened in Germany?

A Munich court ruled that:

  • OpenAI did train models on copyrighted song lyrics
  • It did not have a license to do so
  • Artists and rights holders deserve compensation
  • ChatGPT reproducing lyrics counts as infringement

This lawsuit was led by GEMA, Germany’s main music rights organization.


3.2 Why This Case Matters Globally

Let’s dig a little deeper into why this ruling matters beyond Germany.

• It establishes legal precedent in Europe

Other countries in the EU can now reference this case.

• It opens the door for similar lawsuits

Writers, studios, news publishers — all may follow.

• It challenges OpenAI’s defense

OpenAI argued its models don’t “store” copyrighted text.
The court disagreed.

• It could influence global AI training laws

Governments are already drafting new AI rules — this judgment adds pressure.


3.3 OpenAI’s Response

OpenAI said:

  • It disagrees with the verdict
  • It may appeal
  • The ruling only affects a limited set of lyrics
  • Regular users are not affected

Still, the decision sent shockwaves across the AI world.

But that wasn’t the only negative headline OpenAI faced this year.


4. The $1.4 Trillion Controversy: A Public Relations Storm

So far, we’ve seen OpenAI launching new features, entering healthcare, and battling legal challenges. But now we move to something that caused outrage far beyond the tech community.

Let’s break it down clearly.


4.1 What Was the Statement That Triggered Backlash?

OpenAI’s CFO, Sarah Friar, made a comment suggesting:

  • The U.S. Government should help backstop OpenAI’s $1.4 trillion chip investment plans.
  • Meaning taxpayers might indirectly secure their debts.

The reaction was immediate and brutal.


4.2 Why Did People Get So Angry?

Here’s the simplest way to understand it:

It’s like OpenAI asked the public to guarantee their massive credit card bill.

People responded with:

  • “Why should taxpayers protect a private company?”
  • “Why does OpenAI need public money?”
  • “Aren’t they valued in the hundreds of billions?”

The analogy floating on social media captured it perfectly:

“It’s like asking your parents to co-sign your rent — except your parents are American taxpayers and the rent is $1.4 trillion.”


4.3 OpenAI Tries to Fix the Damage

Within hours, Sarah Friar walked her comment back.

Soon after, Sam Altman stepped in personally:

  • OpenAI is not asking for loan guarantees
  • OpenAI does not want taxpayer money
  • If OpenAI fails, it should just fail
  • The company expects $20 billion in revenue in 2025
  • It aims for “hundreds of billions” by 2030

But the damage was done — and it revived a much larger question:

Can OpenAI actually afford its own growth?

Let’s answer that next.


5. The Sora Problem: Billions in Losses, Millions per Day

To understand the financial pressure OpenAI faces, we need to talk about Sora, the company’s AI video generator.

Before listing the numbers, let’s think about why Sora exists.
AI video generation is considered the next frontier — capable of replacing entire filmmaking workflows. OpenAI wanted to be first.

But being first is expensive.


5.1 How Much Does Sora Cost to Run?

According to reports:

  • Sora costs around $5 billion per year to operate
  • That’s roughly $15 million per day
  • A single 10-second clip may cost $1.30 in compute resources

These are staggering numbers.

Even Sora’s own lead developer admitted:

“The economics are completely unsustainable.”


5.2 Why Are the Costs So High?

AI video requires:

  • Huge compute power
  • Extremely large GPU clusters
  • Massive data processing
  • Continuous fine-tuning and safety filtering

Even limiting Sora to “selected users” hasn’t helped enough.

OpenAI already:

  • Reduced free video limits
  • Charges $4 for extra clips
  • Plans to restrict usage further soon

And on top of financial losses, Sora is now facing legal pressure too.


5.3 Copyright Complaints From Japan

Japanese studios like:

  • Studio Ghibli
  • Square Enix
  • Bandai Namco

have accused OpenAI of using copyrighted video material to train Sora.

This means:

  • More investigations
  • More lawsuits
  • More setbacks

The financial + legal pressure around Sora is one of OpenAI’s biggest challenges today.

But while OpenAI struggles, its main competitor is quietly winning.


6. Anthropic’s Steady Rise — And Why It Matters

It’s time to shift our attention to the competition.
Anthropic — the company behind Claude — is taking a very different path.

Before looking at the numbers, let’s understand the philosophical difference.

OpenAI:

“Grow fast, innovate fast, scale first.”

Anthropic:

“Stay stable, scale responsibly, keep costs predictable.”

And surprisingly, that approach is working.


6.1 Anthropic’s Financial Outlook

According to credible reports:

  • Anthropic expects to break even by 2028
  • OpenAI is not expected to be profitable until 2030
  • Anthropic’s projected 2028 revenue: $70B
  • OpenAI’s projected 2028 losses: $74B

This contrast shocked the industry.


6.2 Why Enterprises Prefer Claude

Enterprise clients say Claude is:

  • More stable
  • Less unpredictable
  • More cost-efficient
  • Easier to integrate in large-scale workflows

And because Claude doesn’t come with flashy billion-dollar video generators like Sora, Anthropic avoids the massive cost traps OpenAI has fallen into.

This doesn’t mean OpenAI is failing — far from it — but it shows the competitive landscape is changing.


7. OpenAI’s Explosive Business Growth

Before we conclude, let’s focus on one area where OpenAI is actually dominating: enterprise customers.

Despite all controversies, OpenAI’s business adoption is skyrocketing.


7.1 1 Million Business Customers

OpenAI recently announced:

  • 1 million businesses now use ChatGPT or its API
  • Making it one of the fastest-growing enterprise platforms in history

Clients include:

  • Cisco
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Target
  • Thermo Fisher
  • T-Mobile
  • Booking.com

This growth is happening because:

  • Employees already use ChatGPT personally
  • Switching to ChatGPT at work feels natural
  • ROI appears quickly

7.2 ChatGPT for Work and Enterprise Expansion

Here are the most impressive stats:

  • 7 million ChatGPT for Work seats
  • Up 40% in just 2 months
  • Enterprise licenses up 9× year-over-year

OpenAI also released new enterprise tools:

• Company Knowledge

Connects ChatGPT directly with:

  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • SharePoint
  • GitHub

• Agent Kit

Helps companies build custom agents in days.

• Multimodal Features

Video, audio, and image capabilities integrated into workflows.

Despite financial challenges, business adoption is stronger than ever.


8. Final Thoughts: Is OpenAI Moving Too Fast?

At this point, you might be wondering:
Is OpenAI growing too quickly — or are these bold risks necessary to lead the AI revolution?

There’s no single answer.

OpenAI’s strengths:

  • Industry-leading innovation
  • Massive business adoption
  • Aggressive product rollouts
  • Strong consumer trust

OpenAI’s weaknesses:

  • Enormous operating costs
  • Rising legal challenges
  • Public relations instability
  • Increasing competition from Anthropic

The truth is this: OpenAI is shaping the future, but it’s paying a heavy price for the speed at which it moves.

Whether this becomes a story of triumph or collapse depends on how the company navigates the next two years.

And now, I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts.


Q&A Section

Q1. Will Group Chats change how teams use AI?

Absolutely. It could replace brainstorming sessions, planning meetings, and collaborative note-taking — all inside ChatGPT.

Q2. Is OpenAI’s healthcare push risky?

Yes. Healthcare is heavily regulated. But the demand is enormous because users already trust AI for health questions.

Q3. Could copyright lawsuits cripple OpenAI?

Not immediately — but if courts across Europe adopt similar rulings, OpenAI may face a massive financial burden.

Q4. Is OpenAI really burning $15 million a day?

For Sora, yes. Video generation at scale is extremely expensive.

Q5. Is Anthropic overtaking OpenAI?

Not yet, but Anthropic’s stability-focused growth strategy is gaining serious attention from enterprise clients.


Disclaimer

This article discusses technology trends, legal situations, and financial projections based on publicly reported information. It should not be considered legal, medical, or financial advice.


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#OpenAI #ChatGPT #AI2025 #ArtificialIntelligence #TechNews #SoraAI #Anthropic #FutureOfAI #AITrends #MachineLearning

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Daniel Hughes

Daniel Hughes

Daniel is a UK-based AI researcher and content creator. He has worked with startups focusing on machine learning applications, exploring areas like generative AI, voice synthesis, and automation. Daniel explains complex concepts like large language models and AI productivity tools in simple, practical terms.

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