ChatGBT Deep Research: Advanced AI Feature

OpenAI's GBT-5 has introduced a powerful new feature called "Deep Research," which is now available to paid subscribers, enhancing the AI's capabilities for complex tasks. This feature is designed to autonomously conduct multi-step research, analyze diverse sources, and synthesize comprehensive reports. It leverages OpenAI's o3 reasoning model, optimized for web browsing and data analysis, to interpret and analyze text, images, and PDFs12345.

Deep Research is particularly beneficial for professionals in finance, science, policy, and engineering, as well as researchers and discerning consumers seeking precise and reliable information. Users can input prompts and attach relevant files, enabling the AI to produce thorough, documented, and clearly cited reports. This feature is particularly beneficial for users in finance, science, policy, and engineering, as well as researchers and discerning consumers seeking precise and reliable information1234.

The deep research feature is now available on all GBT platforms, including web, iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Users can access it by selecting the "deep research" model option within the GBT interface. The AI will then independently conduct the research and provide a detailed report within the chat, typically within 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the request165.

Key Features and Benefits

1. Expanded Access and Usage Limits

Starting in February 2025, the deep research feature became available to Plus, Team, Edu, and Enterprise users, with a limit of 10 queries per month. Pro users, who previously had 100 queries, saw an increase to 120 queries, enhancing their research capabilities. This expansion aims to make advanced research tools more accessible while keeping the cost competitive with other chatbots offering similar features1.

2. Enhanced Functionality

The deep research feature is designed to autonomously search the internet, analyze information from various sources, and synthesize comprehensive reports on complex topics. It utilizes OpenAI's o3 reasoning model, optimized for web browsing and data analysis, to interpret and analyze text, images, and PDFs. Users can input prompts and attach relevant files, enabling the AI to produce thorough, documented, and clearly cited reports1.

3. Improved Handling of Uploaded Files

In response to user feedback, OpenAI has enhanced the deep research feature's ability to understand and reference uploaded files. The system now more effectively incorporates data from user-provided documents, ensuring that the generated reports are contextually accurate and tailored to specific informational needs. This improvement streamlines the research process, allowing for seamless integration of user documents and data with real-time web information1.

4. Future Developments

While the deep research feature currently provides text-based reports, OpenAI plans to introduce features such as embedded images, data visualizations, and other analytic outputs to enrich the user experience. These enhancements aim to offer additional clarity and context, making the reports more comprehensive and user-friendly. OpenAI is also exploring options to further increase query limits and expand access to accommodate the growing demand for advanced research capabilities1.

User Reactions and Feedback

Initial user reactions to the newly released ChatGBT Deep Research feature are mixed, with both positive feedback and concerns.

Pros:

• In-Depth Analysis: Unlike standard ChatGBT responses, deep research directly explores the internet, conducting more specialized and detailed analysis.

• Rapid Access to High-Quality Reports: The AI agent gathers and synthesizes information that would traditionally require manual research, enabling rapid access to high-quality reports on complex topics.

• Credibility through Citations: Citations for each part of the answer help users verify facts or look up more detailed information.

• Time-Saving and Reliable Results: Some professional researchers and data analysts have given positive evaluations, saying it “saves a lot of time” and “produces remarkably reliable research results for an AI”2.

Cons:

• High Cost: The biggest drawback is the cost. To use ChatGBT Deep Research, users have to pay an additional significant cost, making it a high barrier for general users.

• Limited Flexibility: Since the AI agent automatically completes the report, there are concerns that if the output is unsatisfactory, it is difficult for users to modify or re-instruct the details.

• Potential Inaccuracies: Even OpenAI’s own evaluation has acknowledged that the Deep Research agent still cannot completely eliminate inaccuracies or hallucinations, requiring users to verify the provided report2.

In the blog post announcing the feature, OpenAI includes the same side-by-side results of GBT-4o versus Deep Research to showcase how the same prompt generates very different results. The ones generated with Deep Research were much more robust and better organized. Deep research also outperformed GBT-4o on Humanity's Last Exam, a recently launched AI benchmark exam by Scale AI and the Center for AI Safety (CAIS) that tests various subjects on expert-level questions. Deep Research scored a 26.6% accuracy, outperforming GBT-4o, Grok-2, Claude 3,5 Sonnet, Gemini Thinking, o1, and even o3-mini high, which had just scored the highest score a couple of days prior, as highlighted by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman7.

The feature also includes a sidebar that summarizes its process, including citations and a summary of the methods used. This transparency allows users to understand the steps taken in gathering and analyzing information. Additionally, OpenAI has enhanced the feature's ability to understand and reference uploaded files, ensuring that the generated reports are contextually accurate and tailored to specific informational needs275.

While deep research currently provides text-based reports, OpenAI plans to introduce features such as embedded images, data visualizations, and other analytic outputs to enrich the user experience. These enhancements aim to offer additional clarity and context, making the reports more comprehensive and user-friendly75.

This expansion reflects OpenAI's commitment to democratizing access to advanced AI tools, enabling a wider audience to benefit from sophisticated research capabilities.

Alternative Services

With the emergence of ChatGBT Deep Research, there has been growing interest in similar AI deep research tools. Some services offer similar functionalities while touting their own unique strengths.

Conclusion

ChatGBT’s deep research feature offers advanced AI-driven research capabilities, delivering detailed and reliable reports with extensive citations. While it is the most expensive option, it is best suited for users who need comprehensive, automated research without frequent adjustments. For those seeking affordability and flexibility, Kompas AI is an ideal alternative, offering multi-step deep research capabilities at a lower cost. GenSpark AI Pilot provides a free option for basic automated research, making it suitable for light research and idea organization. Depending on budget and required research depth, users can select the service that aligns best with their needs2.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is Deep Research?

A: Deep Research is an advanced feature integrated into GBT-5, designed to perform in-depth, multi-step research tasks autonomously. It leverages OpenAI's o3 reasoning model to analyze information from diverse sources and synthesize comprehensive reports.

Q: Who can access Deep Research?

A: Deep Research is available to paid subscribers of GBT-5, including Plus, Team, Edu, and Enterprise users. Pro users have access to an increased number of queries per month.

Q: How does Deep Research work?

A: Users can input prompts and attach relevant files within the GBT-5 interface. The AI then conducts the research independently, providing a detailed report within the chat, typically within 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the request.

Q: What are the benefits of using Deep Research?

A: Deep Research is particularly beneficial for professionals in finance, science, policy, and engineering, as well as researchers and discerning consumers seeking precise and reliable information. It produces thorough, documented, and clearly cited reports, saving users time and effort.

Q: How accurate is Deep Research?

A: Deep Research achieved a record 26.6% accuracy on Humanity's Last Exam, outperforming previous models. However, it can sometimes hallucinate facts or make incorrect inferences, though it does so less frequently than other GBT models.

Q: What platforms support Deep Research?

A: Deep Research is available on all GBT platforms, including web, iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Users can access it by selecting the "deep research" model option within the GBT interface.

Q: Can Deep Research handle uploaded files?

A: Yes, Deep Research has been enhanced to understand and reference uploaded files, ensuring that the generated reports are contextually accurate and tailored to specific informational needs.

Q: What future enhancements are planned for Deep Research?

A: OpenAI plans to introduce features such as embedded images, data visualizations, and other analytic outputs to enrich the user experience, making the reports more comprehensive and user-friendly.

Q: How does Deep Research ensure transparency?

A: Deep Research includes a sidebar that summarizes its process, including citations and a summary of the methods used. This transparency allows users to understand the steps taken in gathering and analyzing information.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of queries for Deep Research?

A: Yes, there are query limits based on the subscription tier. Plus, Team, Edu, and Enterprise users have access to 10 queries per month, while Pro users have 120 queries per month. Each query, including repeated ones, counts towards the limit.