ChatGPT Deep Research

Deep Research can interpret and analyze text, images, and PDFs. Since February 2026, it uses a model based on OpenAI's GPT-5.2, having originally been released with a specialized version of OpenAI's o3. According to OpenAI, Deep Research occasionally makes factual hallucinations (errors) or incorrect inferences. The tool's reliability has also drawn outside criticism. Writing in The Guardian, Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey warned that users might be tempted to adopt Deep Research's output verbatim without retrospective checking, even though verifying whether such analysis is sound can itself take many hours of human work. In April 2025, OpenAI announced a "lightweight" version of Deep Research that would be available to free users, based on o4-mini instead of o3. As of June 2025, ChatGPT Pro subscribers ($200/month) receive 250 queries per month (half of which are "lightweight"), Plus, Team and Enterprise users receive 25 queries per month (15 of which being "lightweight"), and free users receive 5 "lightweight" queries per month. In February 2026, OpenAI announced updates to Deep Research with a new GPT-5.2-based model, better steering, limiting scope to select sites, connecting additional data using MCP servers, along with better UI for the final reports. == Usage limit ==

Deep Research was introduced in February 2025. In an April 2025 update, OpenAI said it was increasing Deep Research allowances to 25 queries per month for Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users, 250 for Pro users, and 5 for free users. It also said that, after a user's standard allowance was exhausted, later queries would automatically switch to a cheaper "lightweight" version powered by a version of o4-mini. OpenAI's pricing page lists Deep Research as "limited" on the Free and Go plans, included with Plus, Business, and Enterprise, and available at a higher tier on Pro, which it describes as providing "maximum" Deep Research access. == References ==