OpenAI forays into Agentic AI by launching deep research
The agent, which is built on top of OpenAI's upcoming model o3, excels in web browsing and data analysis, using advanced reasoning to search, interpret, and process vast amounts of text, images, and PDFs from the internet.
ChatGPT maker has rolled out its latest agentic feature called deep research, which is capable of conducting multi-step research on the internet for complex tasks.
According to OpenAI, this new agent can complete in minutes what would typically take a human researcher several hours.
The company stated that while users provide a prompt, ChatGPT will search, analyse, and generate data from online sources to produce research-level reports.
The agent, which is built on top of OpenAI's upcoming model o3, excels in web browsing and data analysis, using advanced reasoning to search, interpret, and process vast amounts of text, images, and PDFs from the internet.
“The ability to synthesise knowledge is a prerequisite for creating new knowledge. For this reason, deep research marks a significant step toward our broader goal of developing AGI, which we have long envisioned as capable of producing novel scientific research,” read OpenAI’s blog.
The new feature is designed to assist professionals in finance, science, policy, and engineering who require in-depth research.
It can also help shoppers looking for hyper-personalised recommendations on research-heavy purchases like cars, appliances, and furniture. Notably, the company stated that every output is fully documented, with citations and a reasoning summary, making it easy for the user to refer to and verify information.
Deep research helps in finding niche information or data that usually require extensive browsing, easing complex research into a single query to save time and improve decisions.
While it takes 5 to 30 minutes to provide insights, users will be provided with a notification when it's ready. OpenAI also added that it will soon embed images, data visualisations, and analytics.
“Today we launch deep research, our next agent. This is like a superpower; experts on demand! It can go use the internet, do complex research and reasoning, and give you back a report. It is really good, and can do tasks that would take hours/days and cost hundreds of dollars,” said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI in a post on X.
Recently, OpenAI introduced a research preview of Operator—a feature that's capable of independently performing tasks on the web. Using its built-in browser, Operator can navigate websites, interact with content by typing, clicking, and scrolling, and execute tasks based on user instructions. Still in its early stages, Operator represents the Altman-led firm’s first step towards creating AI agents capable of independently managing tasks.
Edited by Megha Reddy