Key points
- The tool will carry out time-consuming online research for users
- It will be available to certain paying customers
- The tool will help the user to create an in-depth report
ISLAMABAD: OpenAI is set to release a new artificial intelligence tool tailored to carry out time-consuming online research for users about everything from complex science questions to car recommendations. The tool expands the start-up’s portfolio of AI agents that act on a user’s behalf.
The service, called Deep Research, will be available to certain paying customers through OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot online, the company said in a blog post on Sunday, according to France 24.
In response to a prompt, the tool will scour words, images, and PDFs online, and files uploaded by the user, to create an in-depth report.
OpenAI compared the feature to a research analyst and said it’s designed to do in “tens of minutes” what would typically take a person “many hours.”
“Deep Research”
Deep Research is the second AI agent San Francisco-based OpenAI released this year. Last month, OpenAI introduced Operator, which can help book flights, plan grocery orders, and even complete purchases for users.
Both services are initially available just to those who pay $200 per month for OpenAI’s recently introduced ChatGPT Pro option.
The rollouts are part of a broader industry push toward agents, or AI software that can complete multi-step tasks for users with minimal supervision.
OpenAI-backer Microsoft Corp and rival Anthropic have launched their takes on agent software, as have several other startups.
The companies hope such instruments can save users time with their personal and professional tasks and thereby live up to the long-held promise that AI will make people more productive.
Next breakthrough
OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has previously said agents will be “the next giant breakthrough” for AI.
The stakes of that bet have only increased amid renewed concerns that chatbots from Chinese companies like DeepSeek are rapidly catching up to top American AI developers, including OpenAI.
The ChatGPT maker cautioned that Deep Research is still in the early stages and can present made-up information as factual. It may also have difficulty distinguishing rumours from accurate information.
The research tool is also “very compute intensive,” according to OpenAI. To start, users will only be able to submit 100 queries per month.
OpenAI plans to eventually offer the service to other paying customers, including those who subscribe to its Plus, Team, and Enterprise options, but the company did not provide a timetable for doing so.
