When to Ditch Web Search And Opt for Deep Research --- AI can plunge deep into the internet, analyze thousands of words and repeat until it's satisfied

 

For deep research, DeepSeek is often cited as a strong contender among Chinese and Western AI chatbots. It stands out for its ability to handle reasoning, code generation, and problem-solving tasks, making it suitable for in-depth analysis. DeepSeek also offers a "DeepThink" mode that provides more detailed answers by searching more extensively.

Here's why DeepSeek is a good choice for deep research:

 

    Reasoning capabilities:

    DeepSeek's R1 model, built upon its V3 model, has reasoning abilities, allowing it to explain its thought process step-by-step.

 

Code generation:

DeepSeek excels at code generation, making it useful for research involving programming and data analysis.

"DeepThink" mode:

This feature allows for more comprehensive searches and in-depth answers, although users should be aware of potential inaccuracies on less reputable sites, according to Euronews.com.

Cost-effectiveness:

DeepSeek is often mentioned as being more affordable than competitors like OpenAI, especially for accessing its powerful models.

The DeepSeek API documentation states that DeepSeek API does not impose explicit rate limits on users. Instead, it handles high traffic by potentially increasing the response time, with the API connection remaining open during these periods.

While DeepSeek is a strong option, other Chinese AI chatbots like Kimi and Doubao are also worth considering, each with its strengths. Kimi is known for long text processing and information retrieval, while Doubao is praised for its user-friendliness and multimodal capabilities.

 

“Searching for the perfect electric car could have taken hours. Instead, I opened ChatGPT, clicked the deep research button and walked away from my computer.

 

By the time I'd made coffee, ChatGPT delivered an impressive 6,800-word report.

 

This year, ChatGPT and other popular AI chatbots like Copilot and Gemini introduced advanced research modes. When activated, the AI goes beyond basic chat, taking more time, examining more sources and composing a more thorough response.

 

In short: It's just more.

 

Now, free users can access this feature, with limits. Recent upgrades, such as OpenAI's latest GPT-5 model, have made research even more powerful.

 

For the past few months, I've experimented with deep research for complicated questions involving big purchases and international trip planning. Could a robot-generated report help me make tough decisions? Or would I end up with 6,000-plus words of AI nonsense?

 

The bots answered questions I didn't think to ask. Though they occasionally led me astray, I realized my days of long Google quests were likely over.

 

This is what I learned about what to deep research, which bots work best and how to avoid common pitfalls.

 

Seeking advice

 

Deep research is best for queries with multiple factors to weigh. (If you're just getting started, you can look for my AI beginner's guide released in May for tips.)

 

For my EV journey, I first sought advice from my co-workers. But I needed to dig deeper for my specific criteria, which included a roomy back row for a car seat, a length shorter than my current SUV and a battery range that covers a round trip to visit my parents.

 

I fed my many needs into several chatbots. When I hit enter, the AI showed me their "thinking." First, they made a plan. Then, they launched searches. Lots of searches. In deep research mode, AI repeats this cycle -- search then synthesize -- multiple times until satisfied. Occasionally, though, the bot can get stuck in its own rabbit hole and you need to start over.

 

Results varied. Perplexity delivered the quickest results, but hallucinated an all-wheel drive model that doesn't exist. Copilot and Gemini provided helpful tables. ChatGPT took more time because it asked clarifying questions first -- a clever way to narrow the scope and personalize the report. Claude analyzed the most sources: 386.

 

My go-to bot is typically Claude for its strong privacy defaults. But for research, comparing results across multiple services proved most useful. Models that appeared on every list became our top contenders. Now I'm about to test drive a Kia Niro, and potentially spend tens of thousands of dollars based on a robot's recommendation. Basic chat missed the mark, proposing two models that are too big for parallel parking on city streets.

 

Other successful deep research queries included a family-friendly San Francisco trip itinerary, a comparison of popular 529 savings plans, a detailed summary of scientific consensus on intermittent fasting and a guide to improving my distance swimming.

 

On ChatGPT and Claude, you can add your Google Calendar and other accounts as sources, and ask the AI to, for example, plan activities around your schedule.

 

Deep research isn't always a final answer, but it can help you get there.

 

Do's and don'ts

 

Ready for AI to do your research? Switch on the "deep research" or "research" toggle next to the AI chat box.

 

ChatGPT offers five deep research queries a month to free users, while Perplexity's free plan includes five daily. Copilot, Gemini and Grok limit free access, but don't share specifics. Paid plans increase limits and offer access to more advanced models. Claude's research mode requires a subscription.

 

Here are tips for the best results:

 

Be specific. Give the AI context (your situation and your goal), requirements (must-haves) and your desired output (a report, bullets or a timeline). Chatbots can't read your mind. . .yet.

 

Enable notifications. Deep research takes time. Turn on notifications so the app can ping you when your response is ready.

 

Verify citations. AI can still make mistakes, so don't copy its work. Before making big decisions, click on citations to check source credibility and attribution.

 

Summarize the output. Reports can be long. Ask for a scannable summary or table, then dive into the full text for details.

 

Understand limitations. The information is only as good as its sources. These chatbots largely use publicly available web content. They can't access paywalled stuff, so think of it as a launchpad for further investigation.

 

Whatever the imperfections of deep research, it easily beats hours and days stuck in a Google-search black hole. I have a new research partner, and it never needs a coffee break.

 

(News Corp, owner of Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal, has a content-licensing partnership with OpenAI. Last year, the Journal's parent company, Dow Jones, sued Perplexity for copyright infringement.)” [1]

 

1. When to Ditch Web Search And Opt for Deep Research --- AI can plunge deep into the internet, analyze thousands of words and repeat until it's satisfied. Nguyen, Nicole.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 18 Aug 2025: A11.