OpenAI announced that Deep Research, an AI agent designed for complex data collection and analysis, is now available to users of all paid ChatGPT plans. Previously limited to ChatGPT Pro subscribers, this tool enables structured information gathering from multiple sources, complete with links and an explanation of its reasoning.
Deep Research utilizes a special version of the OpenAI o3 reasoning model, which has been trained using reinforcement learning and integrates web search capabilities. The process of collecting and organizing information takes between 5 and 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the request.
Subscription and Availability
Users on ChatGPT Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu plans can now make up to ten research queries per month. In contrast, ChatGPT Pro users—who pay $200 per month—previously had a limit of 100 queries, which has now increased to 120.
OpenAI’s competitors, including Google and Perplexity, have already launched similar deep research tools within their web search ecosystems. These services, which generate in-depth reports, are available to a broader audience. Recently, Google extended access to its research AI agent to all Gemini Advanced subscribers, a plan that costs $19.99 per month—comparable to ChatGPT Plus.
Industry Impact and Future Developments
Tech companies are betting on deep research tools as a way to drive subscriptions to AI-powered services. OpenAI, however, is also examining potential risks, particularly the possibility of Deep Research being misused to spread misinformation, notes NIX Solutions. The company has committed to further evaluating these concerns.
We’ll keep you updated on any further developments regarding Deep Research and its impact on AI-driven research tools.