ChatGPT launches search and deep research for investigating | Keryc
ChatGPT presents itself as a research companion that not only remembers things, but also goes on the internet for you, gathers sources and assembles clear summaries. Have you ever been lost among tabs and not known where to start? This changes the equation: less copying and pasting, more direct analysis.
What is search and when to use it?
search lets you bring up-to-date information from the web straight into your ChatGPT conversation. It's ideal when you need a specific fact, a recent press release, or to confirm something that changed after the model was trained.
Examples: verifying a news item, checking a product spec sheet, or finding the latest market trends.
How to use it: open a new chat, ask your question (for example, What are the three key AI trends in health for 2025?) or enable Web Search from the tools menu.
Usage signal: look for the small globe icon 🌐 next to the response — that indicates fetched live information.
search
Best practices: click the citations to review original sources and don’t treat the answer as definitive without checking them.
Limitations: it doesn't replace specialized databases or paid tools. In enterprise settings, admins can enable or disable this feature.
What is deep research and what is it for?
deep research does something more ambitious: it not only searches, but plans and executes a multi-step research process. Think of it as an assistant that collects, evaluates, and synthesizes complex information for you.
When to use it? When the question is open-ended, strategic, or requires connecting many pieces — for example, analyzing risks and opportunities when entering a new market.
Typical process: you select deep research in the tools, give a clear prompt with topic, audience and objective, and the system may ask follow-up questions if it needs more context.
Execution time: it can take between 5 and 30 minutes while it explores the web. It notifies you when the report is ready.
Output: you'll typically receive a long report, with citations for each source, findings, trade-offs and actionable recommendations.
How to get started step by step
For search:
Open ChatGPT and ask something that requires recent information.
Check for the 🌐 icon and the linked citations.
Ask for summaries or specific formats (for example, 3 bullet points for executives).
For deep research:
Select deep research in the tools menu.
Give a detailed prompt: topic, audience, objective and deadline.
Review the report when it arrives and ask for further analysis or clarifications.
Which to choose: search or deep research?
search gets straight to the point: fast, accurate for specific data and news.
deep research takes its time: ideal for complex questions that need synthesis and reasoning across multiple sources.
Speed vs. depth: if you need a number or a quick note, use search. If you need a report with context, risks and recommendations, use deep research.
Practical tips and warnings
Always verify the cited sources before making important decisions. The value is in the synthesis, but responsibility remains human.
Be clear in your prompt: the more context (audience, scope, desired format), the better the result.
Use reports as a starting point: review, adjust and complement with proprietary data if you have it.
Thinking of AI as a collaborator changes how we research: it's no longer just collecting links, it's transforming scattered information into actionable knowledge. Doesn't it sound more efficient to have an assistant that organizes the search and gives you a clear map to decide?
