OpenAI Releases Deep Research For Free Users

OpenAI has introduced a cost-efficient, lightweight version of its Deep Research feature for free-tier ChatGPT users, offering as much as five queries per 30 days. This version runs on the o4-mini model, providing comparable depth to the usual o3-powered tool, though responses could also be shorter. Paid users on Plus, Pro, and Team plans can access additional queries, with automatic fallback to o4-mini once the o3 limit is exceeded.

In related updates, OpenAI’s models proceed to perform strongly on the LMSYS Arena leaderboard, with the o3 model securing the #2 spot and excelling in math, coding, and elegance control. The o4-mini also ranks highly, particularly in mathematical tasks.

OpenAI’s Open Model to Invoke Cloud for Complex Queries: OpenAI is about to release its first fully downloadable AI model in years, designed to outperform open-source models from Meta and DeepSeek. Internally dubbed a “reasoning” model, it might feature an optional “handoff” capability, enabling it to invoke OpenAI’s larger, cloud-hosted models for complex queries via API.

The handoff concept, proposed by a developer during a community event, has reportedly gained traction inside OpenAI. While the precise tools and pricing structure remain unclear, the corporate is training the model from scratch somewhat than adapting an existing one.

Revenue Projections: OpenAI Eyes $174B by 2030: OpenAI expects its revenue to grow from $4 billion in 2024 to $174 billion by 2030, driven by AI agents, latest products, and monetization strategies. Agents like “Operator” could generate $29 billion by 2029, with $50B from subscriptions and $22B from APIs.

GPT-Image-1 API Launches for Developers: OpenAI has released its GPT-Image-1 model —originally integrated into ChatGPT—via API, expanding access to high-fidelity image generation and evaluation tools for developers. The model supports text-to-image synthesis with precise prompt alignment and image interpretation across PNG, JPEG, WEBP, and GIF formats. Input will be submitted via URL or Base64, with output resolution capped at 768×2000 pixels.

Pricing is usage-based: $5 per million tokens for text prompts, $10 for image inputs, and $40 for image outputs, with per-image costs starting from $0.02 to $0.19 depending on detail. Safety measures match ChatGPT-4o, including C2PA metadata and content moderation, and API data is excluded from training.

Anthropic has launched a research program focused on AI “model welfare,” investigating whether AI systems could experience human-like traits akin to distress or consciousness. This initiative follows a report co-authored by philosopher David Chalmers, suggesting AI might develop consciousness and agency. The research will explore the moral implications of those possibilities, on the lookout for signs of distress or preferences in AI models.

Led by Kyle Fish, the research will analyze each behavioral responses—akin to how models react to selections—and internal mechanisms that might align with theories of consciousness. While no consensus exists on whether AI can achieve consciousness, Anthropic is proceeding cautiously, acknowledging the uncertainty in the sphere.

Moreover, CEO Dario Amodei has outlined plans to enhance AI model interpretability by 2027, urging the AI industry to ramp up efforts in mechanistic interpretability to mitigate risks of autonomous decision-making.

Google has teamed up with HHMI Janelia and Harvard to release ZAPBench, a comprehensive brain activity dataset geared toward refining predictive models of brain function. Capturing data from roughly 70,000 neurons in a larval zebrafish’s brain, the dataset offers latest insights into how neural activity correlates with brain structure. With ZAPBench, researchers can compare and enhance models that track brain activity over time. The following step can be incorporating a full connectome to extend model accuracy.

Meanwhile, Google’s Gemini chatbot has reached 350 million lively users, with the actual number likely higher as a consequence of its integration with platforms like Google Search and Android. While it still lags behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has over 500 million weekly users, the newest Gemini 2.5 Pro strengthens Google’s position within the AI race. Notably, in today’s earnings call, Google revealed that over a 3rd of all code generated at the corporate is now produced by AI.

On the creative side, Google’s Music AI Sandbox has enhanced its features and expanded access for artists. The platform now includes Lyria 2, a complicated music generation model offering high-fidelity audio. Tools like “Create,” “Extend,” and “Edit” help artists explore genres and compose latest tracks, while Lyria RealTime enables real-time music creation.