OpenAI Launches Deep Research on ChatGPT, Let's Explore It

On February 3, 2025, OpenAI officially released the Deep Research service on ChatGPT. This feature utilizes a tailored version of OpenAI's forthcoming o3 reasoning model, specifically designed for web navigation and data processing. 

It independently explores, reviews, and compiles information from multiple online sources, generating comprehensive reports with clear citations and a summarized reasoning process.

Want to know more about Deep Research on ChatGPT? Read this article.

What is Deep Research on ChatGPT OpenAI?

Deep Research is an advanced feature within ChatGPT designed to assist professionals and researchers who require in-depth, precise, and reliable information. 

It is particularly beneficial for individuals working in finance, science, policy, and engineering, as well as for those conducting intensive knowledge-based tasks.

This tool streamlines complex research by autonomously gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing data from multiple online sources. 

Source: https://openai.com/

Its ability to provide well-documented results, complete with clear citations and a summary of its reasoning process, ensures transparency and credibility in its findings.

Beyond professional research, Deep Research is also useful for consumers who seek highly personalized recommendations on significant purchases, such as cars, appliances, or furniture.

Read Also: DeepSeek, OpenAI, Grok, and Gemini AI Chat Models

By automating the process of browsing numerous websites and extracting relevant insights, it identifies niche, non-intuitive information that would typically take hours to find manually.

Ultimately, Deep Research enhances efficiency by offloading time-consuming web research tasks into a single query, freeing users to focus on decision-making and higher-level analysis.

The Importance of Deep Research

Deep Research on ChatGPT plays a crucial role in enhancing efficiency and accuracy for individuals who rely on thorough, precise, and reliable information. 

This feature is especially valuable for professionals in finance, science, policy, and engineering, where high-quality research is essential for decision-making and problem-solving. 

Additionally, it benefits consumers looking for detailed and personalized recommendations for complex purchases, such as cars, appliances, and furniture.

One of the key advantages of Deep Research is its ability to provide fully documented outputs with citations and a reasoning summary, making it easy to reference and verify the information. 

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This ensures transparency and credibility, addressing a common challenge in AI-generated research.

Deep Research is also built on OpenAI's o1 reasoning model, trained with real-world tasks that require both browser-based exploration and Python tool use. 

While o1 excels in coding, mathematics, and technical domains, Deep Research extends these reasoning capabilities to tackle real-world challenges that demand extensive context and data gathering from diverse online sources.

Ultimately, Deep Research bridges the gap between automated reasoning and comprehensive web-based research, making it a powerful tool for both professionals and everyday users seeking deep insights with minimal effort.

What Can ChatGPT Deep Research Do?

ChatGPT's Deep Research feature is designed to autonomously conduct in-depth, multi-step research on the internet. 

It can search, analyze, and synthesize information from various online sources to generate detailed reports with clear citations and reasoning summaries. Here are some of its key capabilities

1. Conduct Thorough and Reliable Research

Deep Research is designed for professionals in finance, science, policy, and engineering, providing well-documented insights by gathering and analyzing data from multiple sources. 

It identifies trends, patterns, and hard-to-find information that would normally take hours to uncover manually.

2. Provide Transparent and Verifiable Reports

Every research output includes clear citations and a reasoning summary, making it easy to reference and verify the information. 

This ensures accuracy and credibility, allowing users to trust the findings.

3. Save Time by Automating Complex Research Tasks

Instead of spending hours browsing multiple websites, Deep Research completes multi-step research tasks in minutes. 

It can also offer hyper-personalized recommendations, helping users make informed decisions on purchases like cars, appliances, and furniture based on performance, efficiency, and value.

How to Use OpenAI Deep Research ChatGPT

How to use Deep Research in ChatGPT is not difficult, even almost similar to the DeepThink feature in DeepSeek.

Here's how to access and use Deep Research ChatGPT.

Step 1: Select 'Deep Research' Mode

Open ChatGPT and go to the message composer.

Choose the ‘Deep Research’ option before entering your query.

Step 2: Enter your Query

Clearly state what you need, whether it’s a competitive analysis, market research, technical insights, or product recommendations.

Example queries:

“Compare the best streaming platforms based on user engagement and revenue models.”

“Provide a personalized report on the best commuter bike for urban travel.”

Step 3: Add Context with Attachments (Optional)

Upload files, spreadsheets, or additional documents to provide more context for your research.

Step 4: Initiate the Research

Submit your query and let Deep Research start working. A sidebar will appear, displaying a summary of the steps taken and the sources being used.

Step 5: Wait for Completion

Deep Research typically takes 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of your query. You can continue working on other tasks while it runs in the background. Once completed, you’ll receive a notification in ChatGPT.

Step 6: Review the Final Report

The output will be delivered as a detailed research report within the chat.

Reports include:

Citations for verification.

Reasoning summaries explaining how conclusions were reached.

Upcoming Features are Embedded images, data visualizations, and analytic outputs for enhanced clarity.

Deep Research vs GPT 4.o

Source: https://community.openai.com/

The choice between Deep Research and GPT-4o depends on the type of task you need to accomplish. 

While both are powerful AI tools, they serve different purposes and excel in distinct areas.

1. Depth vs Speed

Deep Research: Best for in-depth, multi-step research that requires thorough information gathering, citations, and verified insights. It takes 5 to 30 minutes to complete a research task.

GPT-4o: Designed for real-time conversations and quick responses across multiple formats (text, images, and voice). It delivers answers instantly but lacks the ability to conduct deep, structured research.

2. Use Cases

Deep Research: Ideal for professionals in finance, science, policy, and engineering who need well-documented reports. It’s also useful for market analysis, product recommendations, and fact-based decision-making.

GPT-4o: Best for casual inquiries, brainstorming, coding help, and general-purpose AI conversations. It’s great for real-time interactions but doesn’t provide the same level of depth and documentation.

3. Accuracy and Citations

Deep Research: Provides fully cited reports with clear reasoning summaries, making it easier to verify and trust the information.

GPT-4o: Delivers quick summaries but does not always provide citations, which can make verification more challenging.

4. Automation and Research Power

Deep Research: Can autonomously browse the web, analyze data, and synthesize insights, reducing manual research time significantly.

GPT-4o: Generates responses based on pre-trained knowledge and may not access the latest web data for comprehensive research.

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5. Availability and Accesibility

Deep Research: Currently available only for Pro users ($200/month) with 100 deep research queries per month. It is expected to expand to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users in the future.

GPT-4o: Available to all ChatGPT users with different usage limits based on subscription plans.

Which One Should you Use?

Choose Deep Research if you need thorough, well-cited, and accurate research reports that involve multi-source analysis and long-form insights.

Choose GPT-4o if you need instant answers, conversational AI, or multimodal capabilities for quick tasks, coding help, and brainstorming.

Ultimately, Deep Research is better for structured, high-quality research, while GPT-4o excels at fast, interactive conversations.

Those Who Can Access ChatGPT's Deep Research Services

OpenAI's Deep Research feature in ChatGPT is currently exclusive to Pro users, who subscribe for $200 per month and receive up to 100 deep research queries per month. 

Future plans include extending access to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users, along with the development of a faster and more affordable version.

At present, Deep Research is only available on the web version of ChatGPT, but OpenAI aims to roll it out to mobile and desktop applications by February 2025.

Access may vary depending on subscription level and regional availability. For the latest updates, users should check OpenAI’s official announcements and support channels.

FAQ

1. What is Deep Research in ChatGPT?

Deep Research is a specialized feature in ChatGPT that autonomously conducts multi-step research tasks on the internet. It gathers, analyzes, and synthesizes information from various sources to generate detailed, well-cited reports with a summary of its reasoning process.

2. Who Can Access Deep Research?

Currently, only Pro users who pay $200 per month can access Deep Research, with a limit of 100 research queries per month. OpenAI plans to expand availability to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users in the future.

3. How Long Does Deep Research Take?

Unlike GPT-4o, which provides instant responses, Deep Research takes 5 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on the complexity of the query. Users receive a notification once the research is finished.

4. How is Deep Research Different from GPT-4.o

Deep Research: Best for in-depth, multi-source research that requires citations and verified insights. It is ideal for professionals, market analysis, and technical inquiries.

GPT-4o: Designed for real-time, multimodal conversations, delivering quick answers without detailed research or citations.

5. How Can I Use Deep Research in ChatGPT?

1. Open ChatGPT and select ‘Deep Research’ in the message composer.
2. Enter your query (you can also attach files for more context).
3. Submit your request, and Deep Research will start analyzing sources.
4. Wait 5 to 30 minutes for the research to complete.
5. Review the detailed report, which includes citations and a reasoning summary.