Breaking News: ChatGPT Deep Research Now Available for ALL Users

A Major Step for AI Accessibility

In a major development for AI accessibility, OpenAI has just released its powerful Deep Research capability to all ChatGPT Plus users. Previously limited to paid subscribers, this sophisticated research tool can now reach a much wider audience in higher education. Paid users also saw their deep research limits increased.

Deep Research represents one of OpenAI's most impressive innovations - a system that can analyze research questions, conduct thorough investigations, and produce comprehensive reports. In my extensive testing, the results have been remarkable. For example, I recently used Deep Research to analyze a complex academic theory, and it produced a 30-page report on epistemic gaslighting in healthcare complete with citations and thoughtful analysis. Deep research is impressive, although it does have its drawbacks.

According to OpenAI (direct quote ahead):

Deep research is perfect for people who do intense knowledge work in areas like finance, science, and law, as well as researchers and discerning shoppers who need thorough, precise, and reliable research. Every output is fully documented, with clear citations to sources, making it easy to verify and reference the information. Deep research is particularly effective at finding niche, non-intuitive information that would involve multiple steps across numerous websites.

Understanding the Two Versions

There’s a catch though. Because deep research relies on OpenAI’s reasoning models, it’s VERY expensive to run. To make deep research more accessible, OpenAI now has two versions, the regular version and the lightweight version. The lightweight version relies on less expensive “mini” reasoning models. The catch is that free users only get access to 5 deep research tasks a month and those tasks will use the lightweight version. Paid users get a number of deep research tasks using the standard (original) model. Once those are used up they get an additional quota using the lightweight model.

Here’s the full limit usage breakdown:

• Free users: 5 tasks per month using the lightweight model

• Plus and Team - 10 tasks per month using the standard model, with 15 more using the lightweight model

• Enterprise - 10 tasks per month using the standard model

• Pro - 125 standard model tasks per month, plus 125 lightweight model tasks

Comparing the Results

I used a free account to create a deep research report on Generative AI’s effects on higher education. The results were fine, but not nearly as extensive as the standard version of deep research. The 8-page report is much closer to what I’ve experienced with Gemini’s early version deep research. Still, it’s not bad for free.

For comparison, I ran the same prompt through Gemini’s improved deep research and it produced a 43-page report. The standard version of ChatGPT deep research created an extensive 25-page report. Although the lightweight report was fine, it’s not nearly as detailed as the others but it may be sufficient for many purposes.

Because deep research tasks are limited, be very careful to craft effective prompts. I suggest using meta-prompting to get ChatGPT to help you with your deep research prompts. For Plus, Team, and Enterprise users, I still suggest being careful with your use of deep research since the standard version seems noticeably better than the lightweight version.

What This Means for Higher Ed

The expansion of Deep Research access represents both an opportunity and a challenge for higher education. While free and increased access democratizes this powerful research tool, it also means faculty need to be prepared for students using both the standard and lightweight versions in their work. Understanding the differences between these versions will be crucial for setting appropriate policies and expectations.

For faculty and staff considering Deep Research, my advice is simple: try the free version first to understand its capabilities, then decide if the standard version's additional power justifies a paid subscription. Or just pay the $20 per month or so for ChatGPT Plus or Gemini Advanced. Seriously, $20 per month is a worthwhile investment for most higher education professionals. Whatever version you choose, remember that Deep Research is a powerful tool for jumpstarting research and understanding, but it's not a replacement for careful human analysis and insight.

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Want to continue this conversation? I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you're using AI. Drop me a line at Craig@AIGoesToCollege.com. Be sure to check out the AI Goes to College podcast, which I co-host with Dr. Robert E. Crossler. It's available at https://www.aigoestocollege.com/follow. Thanks for reading!