Perplexity Introduces Deep Research, a Free Advanced Model to Compete with ChatGPT
Perplexity has unveiled Deep Research, a powerful AI-driven research tool designed to tackle complex queries. Available for free, it aims to provide deep insights and analysis across multiple domains, competing directly with OpenAI’s latest advancements.
Perplexity Follows the AI Research Trend
At the beginning of February, OpenAI introduced its Deep Research feature in ChatGPT, a new agent capable of conducting multi-step web searches for complex tasks. The tool is designed to complete in minutes what would typically take humans several hours. Shortly after, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed that GPT-4.5, expected to launch in the coming weeks, will be the last model not using Chain-of-Thought reasoning.
In response, Perplexity launched its own Deep Research tool on February 14. This new feature is positioned as a direct competitor to OpenAI’s solution, promising similar benefits: comprehensive data analysis and significant time savings.
What Makes Perplexity’s Deep Research Stand Out?
Unlike OpenAI, which restricts its Deep Research tool to ChatGPT Pro subscribers ($200/month), Perplexity offers Deep Research for free, albeit with some limitations for free-tier users.
When a user submits a Deep Research query, Perplexity:
- Performs dozens of searches, scans hundreds of sources, and analyzes the content.
- Generates a detailed report, delivering insights on complex topics.
- Excels in expert-level tasks, including finance, marketing, product research, and more.
Perplexity’s Deep Research has also been benchmarked against OpenAI’s model using Humanity’s Last Exam, a rigorous test evaluating AI performance on academic questions across subjects like math, humanities, and natural sciences. While OpenAI’s Deep Research leads the ranking, Perplexity follows closely behind, outperforming o3-mini.
Use Cases: What Can Deep Research Do?
Perplexity has highlighted several practical applications of Deep Research, including:
- Finance: Tracking real-time market trends, analyzing economic indicators, and identifying investment opportunities.
- Marketing: Evaluating advertising strategies, measuring campaign ROI, and analyzing consumer trends.
- Technology: Exploring startup ecosystems, detecting breakthrough innovations, and assessing tech investments.
- Public Policy: Analyzing economic and political decisions and their societal impact.
- Healthcare: Synthesizing scientific research and providing insights into medical advancements.
How to Access Perplexity’s Deep Research
Deep Research is currently available on Perplexity’s web interface. To activate it:
- Go to the web interface.
- In the lower-left corner of the input field, tap Auto to open options.
- Select Deep Research to enable the feature.
The tool will soon be rolled out on iOS, Android, and Mac, expanding its availability across multiple platforms.
Jing Li
