OpenAI has declared that all paying ChatGPT users worldwide will now have access to its deep research function, which is a web surfing agent that produces thorough research reports. The update expands access to a tool that was previously only available to a select group of members, as it was announced on its official X account on Tuesday.
“Deep research is now rolling out to all ChatGPT Plus, Team, Edu, and Enterprise users,” they stated.
ChatGPT Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu plan users will now receive 10 deep research queries each month as part of the new rollout. The Deep Research tool, which was first limited to ChatGPT Pro users on its $200/month premium plan, will now receive an increased allocation of 120 deep research enquiries per month, up from the initial 100 at launch, according to OpenAI information.
Unveiling of ChatGPT’s deep research tool
On February 3rd, OpenAI unveiled Deep Research, an AI-powered application that enables users to perform intricate and in-depth research with ChatGPT. At first, the capability was only available to ChatGPT Pro users with a monthly cap of 100 queries. It further announced that Plus and Team support would follow, and then Enterprise users.
OpenAI revealed at the time that the rollout was geo-targeted and that there was no estimated time of availability in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom.
OpenAI claims that it has improved its deep research tool in a number of ways since its initial release which includes “embedded images with citations in the output” and “improved ability to understand and reference uploaded files.”
Read also: OpenAI leads with 400 million users despite DeepSeek’s emergence
Heigtened competition in the AI industry
As a critical component of premium AI subscriptions, tech companies are rapidly growing their AI research tools. Google and Perplexity have implemented their own deep research tools in the same way that OpenAI introduced its deep research feature.
The deep research agent was made available to all Gemini Advanced users by Google in February 2025. With this expansion, Google will now face off against OpenAI, which recently made its Deep Research tool accessible to all paying ChatGPT customers.
Like its OpenAI counterpart, Google’s deep research agent is intended to produce comprehensive reports with AI assistance.
The deep research tool from Perplexity AI was introduced on February 14, 2025, to help people gather comprehensive information on complicated subjects.
OpenAI’s ‘Operator’ for reservation and flight booking
OpenAI introduced “Operator,” an AI agent meant to automate processes like reservation and aircraft booking.
The tool extends ChatGPT’s functionality beyond discussions to real-world automation, and it was first made available to ChatGPT Pro subscribers in Brazil, Canada, and India.
As of February 2025, the ChatGPT creator had more than 400 million weekly active users, a noteworthy accomplishment in the face of growing competition from DeepSeek, a Chinese AI business.
The sharp rise in users is a reflection of the growing need for AI-powered automation and research tools such as Operator and Deep Research.