Artificial intelligence is the buzzword of the moment, with companies eager to integrate it into their products. Among the genuinely impactful tools on the market is ChatGPT's Deep Research feature, which OpenAI is now making more accessible.
OpenAI has introduced a streamlined version of the Deep Research tool utilizing their new o4-mini language model. This variant is designed to be "more cost-effective while maintaining high quality," and significantly, it’s available at no cost, free from subscription barriers.
Why is it significant?
Deep Research functions as an intelligent research assistant that conducts thorough investigations on any chosen subject and delivers responses structured like a formal report. Unlike typical chatbot interactions, it feels akin to completing a detailed research project.
The lightweight version of Deep Research employs the o4-mini model from OpenAI and boasts impressive capabilities, remaining nearly as effective as the traditional Deep Research. Although the replies will generally be shorter, they will preserve the depth and thoroughness users have come to expect.
This tool allows users to customize their research by specifying the types of sources they wish to include—such as academic articles or corporate press releases—and it can compile a well-organized multi-page response complete with citations and structured formatting. Essentially, Deep Research can accomplish what would normally require hours of manual online research and writing in mere minutes.
While this process is resource-heavy, restricting it primarily to paid users, the newly introduced lightweight version now reaches free-tier users and provides broader access for subscribers.
What’s the new advantage?
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT users can initiate up to five Deep Research queries monthly. Previously, free users were limited to just one query each month, aligning more closely with services like Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot.
For $20 per month, ChatGPT Plus subscribers will get access to 25 Deep Research queries. Users in the Education, Team, and Enterprise plans will also have this same limit. Those opting for the $200 monthly Pro package will enjoy an impressive 250 queries each month. Once users reach their limit, they will automatically switch to the lighter version of Deep Research, which OpenAI assures is "almost as intelligent as the original Deep Research." While response lengths may be reduced, the depth of content remains intact.
This is excellent news for those unable to pay for subscription services but still eager to leverage a robust AI tool capable of delivering substantial results, rather than just playful creations.
