OpenAI has made a major move toward making AI-driven research tools more accessible. The company has announced that its Deep Research tool, which was previously available only to paid subscribers, is now accessible to all ChatGPT users. This new feature comes with a “lightweight” version of the tool, powered by OpenAI’s new o4-mini model, which offers a balance between performance and efficiency, while still operating within certain usage limits.
The announcement, made through OpenAI’s official social media, signals a significant shift in how the company is positioning its research capabilities for wider adoption. Free-tier users can now experience Deep Research for the first time, while paying subscribers, including ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro, will enjoy expanded query limits.
Access for All Users
Free users will receive up to five Deep Research queries each month, while Pro users can now make up to 250 queries, an increase from the previous limit of 100. Plus and Team users will be granted 25 queries per month. Enterprise and Education subscribers can expect to gain access next week, with the same query limits as Team users.
Although this lightweight version has been optimized to reduce processing costs, OpenAI assures users that it still maintains the same high level of intelligence as the full version. While responses may be more concise, the accuracy and quality of the information provided will remain intact.
How Deep Research Works
According to hands-on testing by Gadgets 360, the integration of the Deep Research tool is seamless. Users can now find the Deep Research icon below the ChatGPT text field, next to the reasoning icon. To begin, users enter a research query, and ChatGPT then asks relevant follow-up questions to refine the search, initiating the research process, which can take anywhere from five to thirty minutes.
The experience is well thought out, with a transparent display of the AI’s chain-of-thought (CoT) in a sidebar, giving users a detailed view of the research process. Additionally, sources are clearly cited, both within the response and at the bottom, allowing users to verify information easily.
A Competitive Shift
This release from OpenAI follows closely on the heels of Google’s expansion of its own research AI tools, indicating that the competition in AI-powered information retrieval is intensifying. OpenAI’s move to make Deep Research widely available is a significant step in democratizing access to powerful AI tools, ensuring that even users on the free tier can benefit from advanced research capabilities.
