US tech giant OpenAI introduced a new ChatGPT tool called “deep research” on Monday, just ahead of high-level meetings in Tokyo. The launch comes as China’s DeepSeek chatbot gains momentum, intensifying competition in the AI landscape.
The rise of DeepSeek has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, with its high performance and reportedly lower costs fueling urgency among US developers to accelerate AI advancements.
AI-Powered Research in Minutes
OpenAI, which first brought generative AI into the mainstream with ChatGPT in 2022, claims its new tool can accomplish in minutes what would typically take humans hours.
“Deep research is OpenAI’s next agent that works independently—you provide a prompt, and ChatGPT will search, analyze, and synthesize hundreds of online sources to create a comprehensive report, much like a research analyst,” the company said in a statement.
During a livestreamed demonstration, OpenAI researchers showcased how the tool could synthesize web search data to recommend ski equipment for a winter vacation in Japan.
Altman, SoftBank, and AI Expansion in Japan
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is currently in Tokyo, where he is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son later on Monday.
SoftBank and OpenAI are key players in Stargate, a US-led initiative announced by President Donald Trump to invest up to $500 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Ishiba is also expected to visit Washington later this week for his first in-person meeting with Trump.
AI Investment in Japan
On Monday afternoon, Altman and Son will host a forum with 500 Japanese businesses, where they are expected to announce major AI infrastructure plans, including:
- New AI data centers
- Power plants to support AI operations
While Nikkei reported these plans, the scale of investment has not been disclosed.
“A New Kind of Hardware”
Separately, Altman revealed to Nikkei that he is working with Apple’s former chief design officer, Jony Ive, to develop a new kind of AI-driven hardware. However, he noted that it would take several years before a prototype is ready.
Regarding competition, Altman acknowledged that DeepSeek is a strong model, but downplayed its novelty. “Its capability level isn’t new,” he told Nikkei, responding to growing concerns that DeepSeek may have reverse-engineered technology from leading US AI systems, such as ChatGPT.
