OpenAI Launches A 'Lightweight Version' Of 'Deep Research': Bringing It To Everyone

Research requires several key steps, and nothing is ever truly easy — unless powerful tools step in to lighten the burden.

Traditionally, research starts with establishing a clear foundation, defining the purpose and scope of the investigation. This includes building a strong understanding of the topic by gathering background knowledge from various sources — such as the internet, books, academic journals, and databases.

Researchers may also need to conduct interviews, make observations, or perform case studies and surveys to collect primary data.

Throughout the process, critical thinking is essential to properly analyze and interpret findings. In the final stages, effective writing tools help compile everything into a coherent, well-structured report.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, the large language model that sparked the generative AI boom, aims to remove much of this burden.

Using what they call the Deep Research feature, OpenAI wants users to be able to conduct online research with results rivaling those of human analysts — but completed in a fraction of the time.

This time, OpenAI is rolling out a lightweight version of its ChatGPT deep research tool for Plus, Team, and Pro users.

Free-tier users can also use it too.

Powered by OpenAI's o4-mini model, this lightweight version of Deep Research is designed to deliver high-quality responses, quicker, and more efficiently.

This is possible because the version is less resource-demanding than the original, which means that users will benefit from higher usage limits.

But because it's lightweight, results tend to be shorter.

And with the lightweight version now available, paying users who exceed the full version’s limits will have their queries automatically and seamlessly transitioned to the lightweight model.

"Responses will typically be shorter while maintaining the depth and quality you’ve come to expect," OpenAI said in a series of posts on X. "Once limits for the original version of deep research are reached, queries automatically default to the lightweight version."

A wave of deep research tools has recently been introduced across various chatbots.

From competitors like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, to xAI’s Grok, users now have a wide array of choices and alternatives.

At the core of these innovations are reasoning AI models, designed to think critically, solve complex problems, and even fact-check themselves — all essential abilities for conducting thorough research.

However, what OpenAI aims to highlight here is that its Deep Research feature also comes in a lightweight version. This ensures that even non-paying users can enjoy the benefits, albeit with reduced capacity compared to paying customers.