Google to take on OpenAI with Deep Research AI agent on Gemini mobile app

Available on the Gemini web, Google's Deep Research AI agent creates a multi-step research plan and analyses information from the web to generate a comprehensive report on a topic

Google Gemini's Deep Research AI agent is now rolling out on the Gemini smartphone app for Android. According to 9To5Google, the Gemini 1.5 Pro-powered Deep Research feature has started appearing in the model picker menu of the Gemini mobile app for paid-tier subscribers.

 

Initially introduced on the web version of Gemini last month, Deep Research functions as an AI-powered research assistant, helping users explore complex topics. When given a prompt, it generates a multi-step research plan that requires user approval. Users can modify the plan before the AI begins analysing web-based information, refining its findings through iterative searches, and compiling a detailed report with source links.

The Deep Research mode on the Gemini app operates similarly to its web counterpart, allowing users to edit the research plan within the chat interface and export the final report to Google Docs. The app enables users to exit while the research is in progress, sending a notification once the report is ready. However, certain advanced tools, such as file uploads and the live chat interface Gemini Live, are disabled when Deep Research mode is active.

 

There are daily limits on research requests and restrictions on concurrent active requests. While exact figures are not specified, the app alerts users when they approach the daily request limit.

Earlier this week, Microsoft-backed OpenAI also introduced its Deep Research AI agent, capable of performing similar tasks. Powered by a version of the upcoming o3 series reasoning model, OpenAI's Deep Research tool analyses and synthesises multiple online sources to generate comprehensive reports. Unlike Google's version, OpenAI's tool allows users to upload files or spreadsheets to provide additional context. An optimised version of OpenAI's Deep Research AI agent is now rolling out to ChatGPT's Pro-tier subscribers.