OpenAI's Free DeepResearch Lite, Based on o4 Mini Model - Big Implications

The DIY research-report creation tool from OpenAI - DeepResearch - had only been available for paid users. It has been a wow. But not every individual or organization was willing to put up the funds for a paid subscription. Students might not have been able to afford it. 

Now, the recent good news: DeepResearch is available for free.  Think of it as the Lite Version. Based on the o4 mini reason model it will do bang-up job at digging and compiling that into a report. But it doesn't go as deep or generate as comprehensive a report as the paid version. That latter is based on the o3 reasoning model. 

You can access DeepResearch Lite through the non-paid prompt platform ChatGPT. And given that ChatGPT has been around for a while you've probably developed sophisticated expertise in how to create the prompts that will yield the best results the most efficiently. That is so much the situation that the specialized professional role of prompt engineer, which used to pay around $200k annually, is less in demand. 

Of course, DeepResearch Lite is a game-changer. 

A level playing field can be established throughout public education. No matter the school district or if it is based in a low-income area, both teachers and students have access to this tool. There's no red tape to apply to fund this research. By osmosis learners can pick up what's important in data points and how they are organized into engaging content. Can this exposure bridge the gap in not growing up in an upper-middle class family?

That point of being engaging - yes, ChatGPT understands what it takes to grab and keep audience attention: Well, the presentation style is conversational. The content also showcases that generative AI has the capacity to be creative in its thinking. It can make those leaps in imagining the future or speculating about the present in ways that have been the jobs of think tanks and journalists at The Atlantic.

For instance, I prompted on ChatGPT which is now equipped with o4 "What could be unusual career paths for Paul Weiss law firm chairperson Brad Karp." He is 64, has been in that leadership role since 2008 and the mandatory retirement age is 70.

Here is a link  [will click on Google Chrome, not Edge] to only one of the amazing responses to that query. It even provides options on what to us would be the best answer to run with. A stunner in one version of the reply is that there are possibilities, such as launching his own boutique law firm, which I hadn't considered and I have been following Paul Weiss for about six years. 

Another obvious implication is that budget-strapped solo entrepreneurs and small businesses can cut out hiring on contract humans who traditionally do that kind of work. In a sense they have their own free consultant. They can query, for example, what could be the gap in their enterprise which could be a new profit center or if the shift out of SEO (search engine optimization) for their marketing is overstated. 

There could also be more bad news for creatives, be they Hollywood screenwriters or marketers who create stories about brands. Their large numbers can be replaced by a handful of content-strategists and content editors. Here is a link [will click on with Google Chrome] via o4 on the background story of our loved comfort food mac and cheese. Here is the link [will click on with Google Chrome] to a narrowed-down question about the nostalgia associated with mac and cheese. ChatGPT even compliments me on choosing such an interesting subject. 

In intuitive coaching I train clients to use this tool to find the data points for employment security. They are responsible for figuring that out. They can't depend on what leadership or their direct manager is indicating. Typical is the "Things are slow now but they'll pick up so hang in with us." Tomorrow they could be laid off.  DeepResearch Lite helps reduce uncertainty. Then the burden is on them to figure out potential Nexts.

Overwhelmed by the uncertainty? Special expertise with transitions, reskilling and startups. Complimentary consultation with Intuitive Coach Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com).