OpenAI’s Deep Research Goes Lite

Now, free users can tap into a “lightweight” version that runs on the o4-mini model. OpenAI has announced a major update to its research cap...

Now, free users can tap into a “lightweight” version that runs on the o4-mini model.

OpenAI has announced a major update to its research capabilities inside ChatGPT. Recognizing that users have been leaning heavily on the Deep Research feature, the company has now made a new, “lightweight” version available even to free-tier users. The update is designed to expand access while balancing infrastructure demands and costs.

This new lightweight version of Deep Research is powered by o4-mini, a compact model optimized for fast, affordable live research tasks. While o4-mini doesn't have the full breadth and reasoning power of the larger models like GPT-4o, it remains highly capable for tasks like real-time fact-checking, information gathering, and pulling live data from the internet.

Free users can now initiate up to five Deep Research sessions per month. Meanwhile, users subscribed to ChatGPT Plus and Team plans can share a pool of 25 sessions across the standard and lightweight options. Enterprise and Education customers will also get access next week under similar limits.

Deep Research originally launched as a premium feature earlier this year, giving users the ability to send their AI on detailed investigations across the web. The feature stood out because it allowed models to retrieve up-to-the-minute information rather than relying solely on their static training data.

The new lite version doesn't just help with affordability — it also significantly speeds up research turnaround times. Since o4-mini requires fewer computational resources, searches complete faster, making it ideal for users who need rapid insights without necessarily requiring exhaustive depth.

OpenAI's move comes at a time when competition among AI platforms is heating up. Rivals like Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini have also been improving their browsing and real-time research features. OpenAI’s decision to democratize access to research tools — even in a scaled-back form — reflects the company’s focus on keeping ChatGPT a dominant force in the evolving AI landscape.

Looking ahead, OpenAI plans to continue refining its research capabilities, possibly offering different tiers of research models to match varying user needs. Whether you’re looking to verify a quick fact or dig deep into complex topics, ChatGPT’s new lightweight research tools promise to make AI-driven exploration faster, smarter, and more accessible than ever.