OpenAI has launched a new lightweight version of its ‘Deep Research’ tool.
The lightweight version of OpenAI’s research tool Deep Research searches web pages and creates reports on a specific topic. The answers from the AI agent are much more comprehensive than those of ChatGPT itself.
Faster and Cheaper
The lighter variant runs on OpenAI‘s o4-mini-model. According to the company, this version is cheaper to offer, and therefore usage limits can be increased. “Answers are shorter but maintain the substantiated quality that users are accustomed to,” says OpenAI. Once users reach the limit of the original research function, ChatGPT automatically switches to this lighter variant.
Alternative to Expensive AI
Chatbots like Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and xAI’s Grok are also heavily investing in AI-driven research functions. These tools are based on models with reasoning capabilities that can analyze complex questions, verify sources, and select relevant information.
The lightweight version is available to Plus, Team, and Pro subscribers. Free users also get access to it starting today. Enterprise and educational users will have access from next week, with the same usage limits as Team users.