OpenAI is reportedly considering the introduction of its Deep Research feature to users of the free tier of ChatGPT. Initially launched in February, Deep Research is designed as an autonomous tool that can conduct extensive research on complex subjects by scouring the Internet for pertinent information. Currently, this feature is exclusive to paid subscribers of ChatGPT and is powered by a custom o3 artificial intelligence model. Should the feature become available to free-tier users, it is anticipated to come with stringent rate limits.
OpenAI Could Expand Deep Research to All Users
Tibor Blaho, Lead Engineer at AIPRM and AI enthusiast, shared a screenshot from an OpenAI webcast on X (previously known as Twitter) revealing that Deep Research may soon be accessible to users on the free tier of ChatGPT. During the webcast, Isa Fullford, a technical staff member at OpenAI, reportedly confirmed this potential expansion. However, no timeline for the rollout was announced.
In a separate development, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman indicated that the company is experiencing delays in new releases due to increased server demand stemming from the usage of its new image generation feature. Even if Deep Research is set to launch for free-tier users, this may not happen until the company can effectively manage its capacity challenges.
Should Deep Research become available to free-tier users, it is expected to impose a high rate limit due to its nature as an agentic tool that requires significant GPU resources. Consequently, users may be restricted to only a handful of uses per month. For context, ChatGPT Plus subscribers currently have access to this AI agent with their own rate limits, and even more extensive usage is reserved for ChatGPT Pro subscribers, the company’s highest subscription tier.
Deep Research in ChatGPT (distinct from the similarly-named features in Gemini or Perplexity) functions as a multi-step research tool that autonomously executes web searches on designated topics, producing comprehensive reports to alleviate the burden of manual research. Upon its initial launch, the tool was specifically developed for professionals engaged in intensive research across fields such as finance, science, policy, and engineering.
