Cutting corners: OpenAI has launched a new ChatGPT tool called Deep Research, which uses reasoning to synthesize large amounts of information, complete multi-step research tasks, and produce detailed reports. The announcement comes amid growing competition from the likes of China's DeepSeek, which recently stunned the global AI community by launching a free chatbot app based on its R1 model. Deep research can reportedly carry out tasks on users' behalf to create a comprehensive report by synthesizing data from online sources, just like a research analyst. It is powered by a version of OpenAI's upcoming o3 model that can search, interpret, and analyze massive amounts of text, images, and PDFs available online.According to OpenAI, deep research takes just "tens of minutes" to accomplish tasks that would otherwise take humans many hours. The company hopes the tool will represent a significant step toward its broader goal of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), which some experts believe could eventually produce novel scientific research.The new tool, which will be available as a button within the ChatGPT app, is designed for professionals in knowledge-based sectors such as science, engineering, finance, and policy fields that require precise and reliable research. It can also assist general users by providing "hyper-personalized" recommendations for purchases like cars, appliances, and furniture tasks that traditionally require extensive manual research.To use the tool, users must select Deep Research in the ChatGPT message composer and enter their query. OpenAI claims the tool can deliver accurate insights on a variety of topics, from streaming platform analysis to personalized reports on the best commuter bikes.In most cases, Deep Research will take between five and 30 minutes to complete complex, time-intensive web research. Users will receive a notification once the research is finished and a report is ready. OpenAI is also working to integrate embedded images, data visualizations, and other analytical outputs into reports for better clarity and context. // Related StoriesThis announcement comes just a week after OpenAI debuted another AI agent called Operator, designed for e-commerce users. According to the company, Operator can book flight tickets, make restaurant reservations, and even shop online using a photo of a shopping list. Operator is currently available only to ChatGPT Pro users in the U.S., but OpenAI has confirmed that it plans to roll it out to more users in the future.The AI company also recently unveiled o3-mini, its latest cost-efficient reasoning model, aimed at shifting some attention away from DeepSeek's momentum. o3-mini is now available in ChatGPT and via API, offering a specialized model for STEM fields (science, math, and coding), while maintaining a low operational cost.