- A slight deep research is rolled out to users of free level
- It’s based on the Chatgpt 4o-mini model
- Plus users also get access to it after they hit their utility limits
It is the news that all chatgpt -free users have been waiting for: Deep research finally comes to the free level of chatgpt. However, the new version of the popular research tool is not quite the same as the one currently enjoying Pro, Plus, Teams and Business Users.
The new deep research that rolls out to all free-tier users starting from today is described by Openai as ‘lightweight’. It is driven by a version of Chatgpt O4-mini as opposed to the existing deep research driven by a version of Chatgpt-O3.
Openai describes the new easy deep research so “almost as intelligent as the deep research that people already know and love while they are significantly cheaper to earn.”
In a tweet on the subject, Openai shared a graph showing accuracy speed for the new light deep research compared to the original deep research and O3 model.
The bad news is that free-tier users will be limited to five uses per year. Month, do not click on the deep research button (when you get it) unless you really need to use it.
Extension of utility limits for plus users
At the same time, Openai says it is expanding its use limits for deep research for existing plus and team users. However, it seems that after your 10 monthly uses have been used up to the ‘expansion’ instead of giving you access to the lightweight version.
After use limits for the original Chatgpt Deep Research has reached, people will automatically switch to the lightweight version of deep research and get another 15 uses a month, leading to some chatgpt users on X who accuse the company of being poor value compared to Google Gemini, which gives up to 20 uses per year. Day for its deep research tool on its advanced plan and 10 per day. Month for free gemini users.
Chatgpt Pro users get 125 Deep Research spend a month, with an additional 125 lightweight uses a month, while Enterprise users simply get 10 uses of the original deep research a month.
Using deep research
To use Deep Research, simply select the ‘Deep Research’ button while using Chatgpt.
Deep research has agent qualities, which means you can give it a task and it will continue to investigate for you under its own steam until it has completed the task, which produces a full report complete with quotes.
Reports can take several minutes to generate and involve searching the Internet by sources, making deep research most suitable for answering complex questions rather than the usual back and forth chats that people have with AI chatbots.
I have found that deep research works best for topics such as literature reviews, market studies or to help me make big life decisions such as deciding where to live.
The news comes warmly on the heels of the message that Chatgpt Plus, teams and corporate users get expanded use limits with 100 minutes of chatgpt-O3 use per day. Week and 300 minutes of chatgpt O4-mini per week. Day.
