OpenAI has launched a new feature for ChatGPT called "Deep Research," designed to assist users with complex, multi-step research tasks. Announced on February 3, 2025, this tool is integrated into ChatGPT and is initially available to Pro users in the U.S., with plans to expand access to other subscription tiers and regions later.
Latest update:
Deep research is now rolled out to Pro users.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 3, 2025
We are still working on bringing access to users in the UK, EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. https://t.co/Bg8jmkAdj4
Deep Research
Deep Research is powered by OpenAI's o3 model, optimized for web browsing and data analysis. It enables ChatGPT to autonomously plan, search, and synthesize information from various online sources, including text, images, and PDFs. This capability allows the AI to generate detailed reports complete with citations. The tool is particularly suited for professionals in fields like finance, science, policy, and engineering but is also useful for consumers conducting thorough product comparisons.
Users can access the feature via the ChatGPT web interface by selecting "Deep Research" in the composer and entering their query. They can also attach files or spreadsheets for additional context. The process takes between 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the query, with a notification sent once the report is ready. Future updates will include embedded images, data visualizations, and other analytic outputs.
it is very compute-intensive and slow, but it's the first ai system that can do such a wide variety of complex, valuable tasks.
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 3, 2025
going live in our pro tier now, with 100 queries per month.
plus, team, and enterprise will come soon, and then free tier.
About OpenAI
OpenAI has been a leader in generative AI since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. The company developed Deep Research to address growing demands for advanced AI tools capable of handling intricate knowledge work. This release comes amid heightened competition in the AI sector, particularly from China's DeepSeek chatbot.
Challenges and Limitations
While Deep Research offers significant time savings—completing tasks in minutes that would take humans hours—it has limitations. OpenAI acknowledges that the tool can sometimes "hallucinate" facts or struggle to differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources. Users are advised to cross-check findings for accuracy.
Availability
Currently exclusive to ChatGPT Pro users at $200 per month with a limit of 100 queries per month, Deep Research will soon roll out to Plus and Team users before reaching Enterprise customers. A faster and more cost-effective version is also under development.
This feature represents a step forward in AI's ability to perform high-level research tasks autonomously, potentially transforming workflows across various industries while underscoring the need for careful oversight of AI-generated outputs.