OpenAI has updated the Deep Research feature in ChatGPT, adding capabilities: now you can independently select sources for analysis, view ready-made reports directly in the chat interface, and monitor or edit long-running processes in real time.
OpenAI has updated the Deep Research feature in ChatGPT, adding capabilities: now you can independently select sources for analysis, view ready-made reports directly in the chat interface, and monitor or edit long-running processes in real time.
When OpenAI introduced Deep Research last year, it was powered by the OpenAI o3 model, which is optimized for web search and data processing. Later, a budget version based on the o4-mini was released. The choice of model — o3 or o4-mini — depended on the user’s data plan and the limits set. Today, OpenAI announced that Deep Research is now powered by the latest GPT-5.2 model to create better research.
In addition to updating the model, the Deep Research feature can now be connected to any MCP or application to limit web searches to specific sites, writes Neowin. Now users can narrow the search area to selected resources, receiving reports based only on authoritative professional sources. Previously, the system analyzed the entire Internet indiscriminately, which sometimes led to fake or unverified data entering the analytics.
Another common complaint among Deep Research users is that they were unable to make any changes to the research query once the feature started generating the report. With this latest update, users can now track the progress of the research in real time and pause the process to refine it with further clues or new sources. This will allow users to better manage the research report according to their needs.
OpenAI has also updated the visual interface of Deep Research to make it easier to launch, track, and review research at all stages. Users can now open final reports in full screen with a convenient table of contents for quick navigation. As before, once a report is complete, it can be shared via a link or downloaded in PDF or DOCX formats.
