OpenAI unveils new “Deep Research” tool amid competition from China’s DeepSeek

In a bid to maintain its leadership in the artificial intelligence (AI) race, U.S. tech giant OpenAI has introduced a new ChatGPT tool called “Deep Research.” The announcement comes ahead of high-level meetings in Tokyo and amid growing competition from China’s DeepSeek, a rising star in the AI sector that has sparked a frenzy in Silicon Valley.

OpenAI, the company behind the groundbreaking ChatGPT that brought generative AI into the mainstream in 2022, claims its new tool can accomplish in “tens of minutes what would take a human many hours.” The company is expected to announce plans to enhance Japan’s AI infrastructure during its meetings with around 500 businesses in Tokyo. According to the Nikkei business daily, these plans include building AI data centers and power plants to support them, though the scale of the investment remains unspecified.

Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed ambitions to develop “a new kind of hardware” in collaboration with Jony Ive, Apple’s former chief design officer. However, Altman noted that it could take several years to produce a prototype.

The announcement comes as China’s DeepSeek continues to make waves in the AI industry. Known for its high performance and reportedly low cost, DeepSeek has prompted calls for U.S. developers to accelerate their efforts. Altman acknowledged DeepSeek as “a good model” that underscores the intense competition in AI reasoning technology but downplayed its novelty, stating that its “capability level isn’t new.”

Despite this, DeepSeek’s rapid advancements have fueled accusations that it may have reverse-engineered leading U.S. technologies, such as the AI behind ChatGPT. Last week, OpenAI raised concerns about Chinese companies attempting to replicate its advanced AI models, leading to closer cooperation with U.S. authorities to safeguard its innovations.

As the global AI race heats up, OpenAI’s latest moves highlight the growing pressure to stay ahead in a field increasingly dominated by international competition.