📚 From Research Rabbit Holes to Polished Reports in Minutes

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Hello AI Enthusiast,

Ever spent hours going down research rabbit holes, trying to get a comprehensive understanding of a complex topic? Both Google and OpenAI have recently introduced "Deep Research" features in their AI assistants designed to do exactly this kind of heavy lifting for you. These tools can search hundreds of websites, analyze information, and deliver detailed reports on almost any subject - potentially saving you hours of work.

The Problem

The typical research process is painfully inefficient: dozens of browser tabs, scattered notes, endless skimming, and the nagging worry you've missed something crucial. Hours disappear, and sometimes we just settle for whatever Google spits out first because deadlines are real and time isn't.

Our Deep Research Test Drive

So to really see how these tools stack up, we decided to put both through the exact same test. We used this prompt for both ChatGPT and Gemini:

"Provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of electric vehicle battery technology, including recent breakthroughs, main challenges, and leading companies in the field."

Pretty straightforward, right? But the experiences turned out to be different.

ChatGPT Deep Research Experience

To kick things off in ChatGPT, you need to click that "Deep research" button that sits right below the chat bar. Make sure it turns blue to confirm it's activated - this works regardless of which model you've got selected.

When we started ChatGPT's Deep Research, it didn't just take our prompt and run with it. Instead, it asked us to clarify a few things first:

Once we answered these questions, it got to work. The process took around 12 minutes (not exactly speedy, but not bad considering the depth). The final result was massive - 8,462 words! That's practically a mini-ebook on EV battery tech. On the right side of the screen, we could see it had pulled from 20 different sources.

The cool thing is what you can do with the report afterward. You can copy the whole thing, listen to it as audio if you'd rather not read, or edit it in Canvas, which is particularly handy if you only want to tweak certain sections. Plus, you can keep chatting with ChatGPT to refine specific parts of the report after it's delivered.

Gemini Deep Research Experience

With Gemini, you've got a couple ways to activate Deep Research - either click the button below the prompt bar (similar to ChatGPT) or select it from the dropdown menu. Just a heads up though - it's not available if you're using the 2.5 Pro model.

Gemini took a slightly different approach. Before diving in, it showed us its planned research strategy and asked if we wanted to modify it or proceed. This gives you a chance to course-correct before it starts hunting for information.

Once we gave the thumbs up, Gemini was noticeably faster - it wrapped up in about 4 minutes. The report was more concise at 2,938 words, but still hit all the key points. One thing to notice is that it showed both the sources it used AND the ones it read but decided not to include.

For the finished report, you can copy it, export it directly to Google Docs (super handy if you're in the Google ecosystem), or convert it to a podcast-style audio format, similar to what NotebookLM offers.

💡 Just a heads-up - everything we're describing here is how these features work today April 1st 2025. The AI world moves at lightning speed, and both Google and OpenAI constantly update their tools. That's just the nature of cutting-edge tech!

Your Turn

Ready to try Deep Research? Here are some practical suggestions to get started:

1. Industry analysis: Ask for a comprehensive overview of trends, challenges, and opportunities in your industry over the past year.

2. Product comparison: Request a detailed comparison of competing products in a category you're considering purchasing from (e.g., "Compare the top 5 project management tools for small teams").

3. Background research: Before your next meeting, ask for a deep dive on a company or person you'll be meeting with, including recent developments, notable achievements, and potential collaboration areas.

4. Learning aid: Use deep research to quickly get up to speed on a complex topic by asking for an explanation of key concepts, historical context, and current debates.

Remember, Deep Research is designed to give you a comprehensive overview to start from - you'll still want to verify critical information, especially for high-stakes decisions.

Want to get even more practical? Explore hands-on AI learning with AI Academy:

• AI Academy Membership: Get 12 months of access to all our cohort-based programs, live webinars, on-demand courses, and tutorials.

• Generative AI Project Bootcamp: Accelerate processes and solve business problems by mastering prompts and building AI prototypes, without coding.

• Corporate Training: Equip your team with the skills they need to unlock the potential of AI in your business.

• Practical Introduction to ChatGPT: A free course on using ChatGPT confidently, understanding its workings, and exploring its potential.

We'll be back with more AI tips soon!