Generative AI has progressed beyond solitary applications. While the majority of platforms serve as personal assistants, researchers at The Education University of Hong Kong are leading a novel initiative: collaborative AI that fosters connection rather than separation.
From Solo to Social
Dr. Ting Sze Thou Fridolin's team has created YoChatGPT!, an AI-driven chatroom that recently earned a Silver award at Inventions Geneva 2025 and a Silver Medal at Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2025. This platform redefines AI from a solitary instrument into a cooperative environment for group learning and problem-solving.
"When ChatGPT was introduced in 2022, I recognized the challenge of teaching students to actively utilize generative AI together," Dr. Ting reflects. "They were unable to prompt alongside me or view each other's responses from GenAI on a single screen. This is the reason we developed YoChatGPT!"
Dr. Ting shows how YoChatGPT! works.
When WhatsApp Meets AI
The platform combines familiar group chat interfaces with large language models such as GPT or DeepSeek. Users can co-prompt, co-learn, and co-solve problems in real-time or asynchronously across time zones.
"We designed it like a WhatsApp or WeChat group, but with the added dimension of AI," explains Dr. Ting. "Everyone can explore a topic together, with the AI offering insights along the way. It's a fundamentally different experience."
YoChatGPT! recently won Silver at Inventions Geneva
Smart Features for Smarter Learning
Key features encompass Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and support for multiple LLMs, enabling users to discuss effectively incorporating uploaded materials, such as lecture notes, curriculum guides, or drafts. "Just as students gain from various textbooks or instructors, they also enhance their learning through multiple AI models," Dr. Ting observes.
The Personalized Concept Prompt is notably innovative, assisting students in grasping complex concepts by connecting them to their interests. "A student passionate about basketball who finds physics challenging can inquire: 'Please assist me in understanding vectors by linking them to basketball.' This approach renders abstract concepts suddenly relatable," he explains.
YoChatGPT!’s features have captured widespread attention.
Beyond the Classroom
While education remains central, YoChatGPT! is expanding into law, medicine, marketing, and research. Enterprise deployments with human-in-the-loop verification ensure privacy and accountability for sensitive applications.
The team envisions domain-specific expansions: scientific collaboration, marketing campaigns, and even drug discovery. "Whatever the next generation of AI models brings, we'll integrate them into our collaborative framework," Dr. Ting adds.
Collective Intelligence Over Individual Output
YoChatGPT!'s philosophy challenges the individual-focused AI paradigm. In an optimization-obsessed digital world, the team champions collective intelligence. "We're just at the beginning," he says. "As more people discover how generative AI can be used in group settings, we want to be there to support that journey."
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