OpenAI’s “Deep Research” is an advanced AI tool designed to autonomously conduct complex, multi-step research tasks across the internet. Leveraging an optimized version of OpenAI’s upcoming o3 model, it excels in web browsing and data analysis. Users can input a prompt, and through ChatGPT, the AI navigates various online sources—including text, images, and PDFs—to compile comprehensive reports comparable to those produced by human research analysts. This process, which takes the AI tens of minutes, would typically require hours of human effort.

The tool is particularly beneficial for professionals in fields such as finance, science, policy, and engineering, as well as consumers seeking detailed product recommendations. Users can submit questions with additional context through text, images, PDFs, or spreadsheets, and the system responds within 5 to 30 minutes. Despite its capabilities, it can sometimes produce inaccuracies and confuse authoritative information with rumors.

Initially available on the web version of ChatGPT, Deep Research will soon be accessible on mobile and desktop applications. This release follows OpenAI’s introduction of another AI tool, Operator, in January, which performs diverse tasks like creating to-do lists and assisting with vacation planning.

While Deep Research represents a significant advancement in AI-driven research capabilities, it is still in its early stages and has limitations. The tool may struggle with distinguishing authoritative information from rumors and currently shows weakness in confidence calibration, often failing to convey uncertainty accurately. OpenAI acknowledges these challenges and is working on improvements to enhance the tool’s reliability and accuracy.

To gain a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence concepts, consider enrolling in the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) course on Coursera. This course covers core AI topics, providing valuable insights that complement the concepts discussed in this article.*