Google Deep Research is powered by Gemini AI, not little cartoons. Image: DepositPhotosShareGoogle hasnt been shy in pushing out new AI tools and features in recent months, from Gemini in Gmail to AI-hosted podcasts. One of the latest innovations unveiled is Google Deep Research, which essentially lets Googles Gemini AI loose on the web, with a mission to thoroughly research a topic of your choice.Imagine theres something you need to do that would normally require a lot of Googling: It could be finding the best phone to upgrade to, for example, or trying to understand how a self-driving car is put together, or charting out the history of Scotland in the 17th century. Deep Research can take on any kind of challenge like this.Its whats known as an agentic featurea trending term in AI that basically means these bots get more agency and control over what theyre doing. The idea is theres less hand-holding and more of the AI working independently, which (in theory) should mean less work for you to do.Under your supervision, Deep Research does the hard work for you, Google explains. After you enter your question, it creates a multi-step research plan for you to either revise or approve. Once you approve, it begins deeply analyzing relevant information from across the web on your behalf.One caveat: You need to be signed up to the $20-per-month Gemini Advanced plan to try this out at the moment (which also gives you 2TB of Google One storage as well). Head to the Google One plans page, and you may be able to access a free trial of Gemini Advanced, if you havent previously signed up.Getting started with Google Deep ResearchYoull see a research plan, then the web searching will start. Screenshot: Google There are three main stages to Google Deep Research workflow: To get to the first, head to Gemini on the web, choose the 1.5 Pro with Deep Research option from the drop-down menu in the top-left corner, then tell the AI what you want to know about (you should see some suggestions appear if youre stuck for inspiration).What you search for is completely up to you, but this is a tool for comprehensive research: It needs to be above and beyond something youd get a standard AI chatbot answer for (like whats a good party game for 5-year-olds or how do you get wine stains out of a fabric couch). You could think about something you need help with for work or a side hustle, or just something youre interested in as a hobby.Enter your prompt into the boxit doesnt have to be long, but the more detail the better, if possibleand the first stage of Google Deep Research gets underway. The AI will think about the prompt youve given, mull over how best to approach the topic, and then present you with an overview of how its going to tackle the challenge.This research plan is presented to you, and you can make changes by clicking Edit plan: Youre then dropped back into a chat with the AI, so you can tell it to focus more on certain areas, or add in extra areas of research you want it to cover. Each time you make a suggestion, youll be given a revised plan.When you see a research plan on screen youre happy with, click Start research to move on to the next stage. Gemini gets to work, and will show you on screen the websites its looking at and the information its parsingyou can sit and watch, or you can get on with something else. You can even close down the Gemini app completely if you need to, and come back later to get your answers.Answers and reports from Google Deep ResearchYoure able to keep asking questions about the finished report. Screenshot: Google You shouldnt have to wait too long for your answersmany queries can be researched in just a few minutesand youre then presented with a detailed report, which should cover everything in your original prompt. If you asked any specific questions about a topic, they should be specifically addressed somewhere.This is the third stage of Google Deep Research, working your way through the report. It doesnt have to be the end of the research though: You can ask follow-up questions about anything in the report, just as you would in a normal conversation with Gemini. If you carry on the chat, the report itself gets minimized, but you can open it up again if needed.At the end of the responses, and the end of the report itself, you get references to the web: These can be useful to check the workings of Gemini and to look for further information yourself. Even in Deep Research mode, the Gemini can make mistakes message is displayed, and its important not to rely too heavily on AI reporting until youve made sure its all accurate.Another handy feature of Google Deep Research: You can convert your report into a Google Docs document, by clicking the Open in Docs button in the top right corner. This will present you with a rather plainly formatted document that you can edit or save as usual. If there are tables in your report, theyll be transferred over to Google Docs, and you still get all your web references at the bottom too.From testing out Google Gemini Research on a few tech topics, it seems to do a decent job at collating information and working out whats important and what isnthaving access to the web resources the AI has used really helps in digging deeper and checking facts. Your mileage may of course vary, depending on the topic and the information available, but the tool definitely has the potential to save you a substantial amount of research time.