OpenAI has unveiled a new artificial intelligence tool, "Deep Research," designed to streamline complex research tasks by conducting multi-step analysis across the internet. Launched on Sunday, the tool leverages OpenAI’s upcoming o3 model, which has been optimized for web browsing and data analysis.

Deep Research is integrated into OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, and allows users to input prompts, after which the AI scans multiple online sources—including text, images, and PDFs—to synthesize a comprehensive report akin to the work of a research analyst. The company claims that the tool dramatically reduces the time required for in-depth research, achieving in minutes what would take a human researcher hours to complete.

“It accomplishes in tens of minutes what would take a human many hours,” OpenAI stated in its announcement.

While OpenAI has touted Deep Research as a breakthrough in AI-assisted research, it also acknowledged the tool's limitations. The company noted that Deep Research may struggle with distinguishing authoritative information from unreliable sources, which could impact the accuracy of its findings. Additionally, OpenAI highlighted that the tool lacks proper confidence calibration, meaning it may not always accurately convey uncertainty when presenting results.

Despite these drawbacks, Deep Research marks a significant step in OpenAI’s expansion into specialized AI agents that go beyond general chatbot capabilities.

Currently, Deep Research is available through the web version of ChatGPT, with plans to expand access to mobile and desktop apps within February. The tool is the second AI agent OpenAI has introduced this year, following the January preview of "Operator," an AI assistant designed for various tasks, such as creating to-do lists and assisting with vacation planning.

With Deep Research, OpenAI continues to push the boundaries of generative AI applications, aiming to enhance productivity in research and data analysis. As the company refines the tool to address its current limitations, Deep Research has the potential to become a valuable asset for professionals and academics seeking faster and more efficient ways to analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources.