There’s a lot of AI hype floating around, and it seems every brand wants to cram it into their products. But there are a few remarkably useful tools, as well, though they are pretty expensive. ChatGPT’s Deep Research is one such feature, and it seems OpenAI is finally feeling a bit generous about it.
The company has created a lightweight version of Deep Research that is powered by its new o4-mini language model. OpenAI says this variant is “more cost-efficient while preserving high quality.” More importantly, it is available to use for free without any subscription caveat.
Deep Research, as the name suggests, is an agentic feature that performs a comprehensive web research on any topic and provides responses in the form of a well-drafted paper. Compared to the typical chatbot answer, it feels more like a research assignment.
You can narrow down the research to a specific type of sources, such as academic papers or corporate press releases, and get a well-curated multi-page answer with all the citations, headings, tables, and bullet points. In a nutshell, Deep Research accomplishes in minutes what would usually take hours of internet research and writing for a person.
At the same time, this process is extremely resource-intensive, and that’s why it has remained exclusive to the paid ChatGPT users. Thanks to the new lightweight version, it is not only reaching out to free-tier users, but also expanding the search limit for subscribers.
OpenAI says ChatGPT users can launch up to five Deep Research queries each month. So far, the company has only allowed one attempt per month for free users. Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Perplexity also offer this convenience.
For users who pay a $20 monthly fee for a ChatGPT Plus subscription, they get a window of 25 Deep Research queries per month. The same limit is also applicable for ChatGPT’s Education, Team, and Enterprise packages. The $200/month Pro package will give you 250 attempts each month.
Once that limit is exhausted, users are automatically shifted to the lightweight version of Deep Research. OpenAI says this iteration is “nearly as intelligent as the deep research people already know and love.”
The only difference is that the length of responses will be smaller, but they won’t compromise on the depth of research. This is fantastic news for users who couldn’t afford a subscription fee, but still wanted to use a powerful AI tool that can get serious work done instead of just creating fun Ghibli-style images.
Microsoft could be adding a guided tour to its Copilot app in Windows 11, making it easier for users to get started, according to TechRadar. The six-s
It’s somewhat unnerving to hear an AI talking in an eerily friendly tone and telling me to clean up the clutter on my workstation. I am somewhat proud
OpenAI’s flagship service ChatGPT remains as popular as ever, with the brand having hit a 500 million active user milestone in recent days amid the St
Mobile World Congress Read our complete coverage of Mobile World Congress Opera web browser is entering the agentic era of AI tools. At MWC 2025, the
Update: A Google spokesperson responded to our queries. The story has been updated with their answers in a dedicated section below. Google is pushing
An AI expert has accused OpenAI of rewriting its history and being overly dismissive of safety concerns.Former OpenAI policy researcher Miles Brundage
We are a dynamic information platform dedicated to delivering timely, relevant, and reliable content across a broad spectrum of topics. From the latest in technology and business to lifestyle, health, and global affairs, we aim to keep our readers informed and inspired.
Our editorial team is committed to maintaining high standards of accuracy and clarity, ensuring that every article provides value and context in an ever-changing world. We believe in the importance of accessible knowledge and strive to make complex topics understandable for everyone.
Whether you're here to stay updated on current events, explore thought-provoking features, or simply learn something new, our goal is to offer a trustworthy source of information that meets the needs of a diverse and curious audience.