OpenAI has unveiled Deep research, a new AI agent integrated into ChatGPT, designed to autonomously conduct multi-step internet research for complex tasks. Leveraging the upcoming OpenAI o3 model, this tool is optimized for web browsing and data analysis, enabling it to find, analyze, and synthesize information from various online sources, including text, images, and PDFs. This capability allows deep research to generate comprehensive reports in approximately 10 minutes, a task that would typically take a human researcher several hours.

Deep research is particularly beneficial for professionals in fields such as finance, science, policy, and engineering, who require thorough and precise information. Additionally, it caters to discerning consumers seeking personalized recommendations for significant purchases like cars, appliances, and furniture. Each output is fully documented, providing clear citations and a summary of its reasoning process, which facilitates easy reference and verification of information. This feature is especially effective in uncovering niche, non-intuitive information that would typically require browsing numerous websites.

While deep research marks a significant advancement in AI capabilities, experts advise caution in relying solely on AI-generated outputs without human verification. The tool is currently available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the U.S., with plans for broader access in the future. OpenAI acknowledges potential limitations, such as the AI’s ability to distinguish authoritative information from rumors and accurately convey uncertainty. Despite these challenges, deep research represents a substantial step toward OpenAI’s broader goal of developing artificial general intelligence capable of producing novel scientific research.