It’s happening. OpenAI just took a sledgehammer to the paywall, cracking open one of its most advanced tools—Deep Research—for ChatGPT Plus users. Until now, this elite AI-powered search engine was locked away behind a $200/month Pro subscription, accessible only to those who could afford the digital VIP pass. But OpenAI just pulled a plot twist, letting Plus, Team, Edu, and Enterprise users get a taste—with a cap of 10 deep-dives per month.
So, what’s the big deal? Deep Research isn’t just another Google search on steroids. This thing is built to think like a digital detective, crawling through countless sources, analyzing massive datasets, and piecing together nuanced, structured reports. It’s powered by OpenAI’s o3 reasoning model, which doesn’t just spit out search results—it actually understands them. And now, you don’t need to drop two Benjamins a month to see it in action.
Cracking Open AI’s Powerhouse
For those unfamiliar, Deep Research is like having a personal research assistant on demand. You throw a complex question at it, and instead of giving you a list of links to sort through, it digs in, chews on the data, and spits out a full-fledged report—citations, context, and all.
Here’s what’s new:
- More Access, Less Exclusivity – Plus users now get 10 queries per month, while Pro users get a slight bump from 100 to 120.
- Sharper File Handling – The AI now integrates user-uploaded documents more efficiently, blending them with online data for a richer analysis.
- Enhanced Visuals Incoming – OpenAI is working on embedding graphs, images, and data visualizations into reports to make them even more digestible.
- Smarter, Faster, Stronger – Deep Research can now pull insights from PDFs, images, and text-based documents with better accuracy.
A Game Changer for Power Users
Who’s going to benefit the most? Researchers, analysts, engineers, and professionals in data-heavy fields are the obvious winners. But even casual users can leverage Deep Research for, say, figuring out which EV has the best battery life, or how the latest economic policies might shake up the housing market.
To activate Deep Research, users simply type their query into ChatGPT and toggle the mode on. Depending on the complexity, it can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to return a full report—because unlike regular search engines, this AI actually works through problems step by step.
Microsoft Enters the Chat
Meanwhile, OpenAI’s BFF, Microsoft, is making its own moves. This week, they announced that Copilot AI users will now get unlimited free access to its Voice and Think Deeper features. Voice lets users interact with AI verbally, while Think Deeper is designed to tackle complex reasoning tasks—basically, Microsoft’s answer to OpenAI’s Deep Research.
The Future of AI Research
With Deep Research stepping into more hands, it’s clear OpenAI is testing the waters for wider accessibility. Analyst Paul Schell from ABI Research pointed out that this is part of a larger trend: high-powered AI slowly filtering down to the masses.
“There is a democratization of AI occurring,” Schell said. “The real question is whether these high-performance AI models will be refined enough to be implemented in workplaces—and what that means for professionals.”
That’s a big question. AI tools like Deep Research can accomplish in minutes what used to take hours, potentially reshaping industries from journalism to finance. OpenAI’s endgame? Building an AI that doesn’t just answer questions—it thinks, reasons, and outperforms humans in complex decision-making.
What’s Next?
OpenAI isn’t stopping here. They’ve hinted at even more advanced capabilities, including AI-generated images and deeper analytical reports. The ultimate goal? An AI that not only finds answers but understands them as deeply as a seasoned expert would.
For now, Deep Research remains a premium feature—but its expansion to Plus users signals a future where this kind of power won’t be locked behind a massive paywall forever. And if history is any indication, OpenAI’s next move will likely push the boundaries even further.
The AI arms race is heating up. And Deep Research? It just became a weapon in a lot more people’s arsenals.