What’s the Best Deep Research AI tool? We tested them all

Key Concepts

AI Deep Research, AI Agents, Competition Analysis, Background Checks, Prospecting, Data Enrichment, Cold Email Outreach, Fact-Checking, Trend Analysis, Legal Compliance, Gemini, ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, API Automation, Prompt Engineering, Content Creation, Competitive Advantage.

1. What is Deep Research and Why Should Business Owners Care?

• Definition: AI Deep Research involves breaking down a high-level query into multiple sub-queries, reasoning through resources, and learning to refine subsequent searches, ultimately generating a comprehensive report to address the initial question.
• Significance: It automates tasks that would typically require significant time and effort from human researchers, such as competitor analysis or background checks.
• Example: Replacing a week-long research project by a developer on shopping cart alternatives with a 20-minute task using AI deep search.
• Platforms: Gemini, ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity.

2. Platform Availability and Cost

• ChatGPT: Available on the $20/month Plus plan, but limited to 10 deep researches per month. Uses a powerful but expensive O3 model.
• Gemini: Unlimited access with a Google Workspace account or Gemini Advanced plan. Uses the 2.0 Flash model, which is fast and nearly as good as OpenAI's.
• Perplexity: Five free deep researches per day with a free account. API available for automation.
• Grok: Available through Grok subscription.
• API Access: Perplexity is the only platform currently offering an API for deep research.

3. Use Case 1: Staying Up-to-Date with the Competition

• Prompt Example: "Analyze my competitors' offer positioning versus popularity, research how brands position at the low end versus high end, and identify consumer sentiment, market gaps, and opportunities."
• Process: The AI identifies premium vs. budget tools, analyzes market trends, and assesses consumer sentiment through social media, reviews, and industry discussions.
• Findings:
  • ChatGPT provided the most comprehensive and readable report.
  • Gemini was a close second, providing source links for fact-checking.
  • Perplexity was the worst in this test.
• Benefits: Helps business owners keep track of competitors' activities and customer perceptions, especially when dealing with a large number of competitors.
• Automation Potential: Run reports weekly or monthly to stay informed.

4. Use Case 2: Running Background Checks on People or Companies

• Application: Due diligence before hiring agencies, working with sponsors, or entering business partnerships.
• Process: The AI analyzes online reputation, forum discussions, and employee feedback to identify potential issues.
• Example: Researching a potential sponsor to assess their legitimacy and identify any negative feedback.
• Findings:
  • ChatGPT provided the most comprehensive coverage and was good at finding negative information.
  • Perplexity was easy to read and also found drawbacks.
  • Gemini primarily found positive information.
  • Grok was surface-level.
• Ethical Considerations: The AI can be tricked into revealing sensitive information by framing the query as biography research.
• Data Sources: Glassdoor, Reddit, and other online forums.

5. Use Case 3: Prospecting for Cold Email Outreach

• Objective: Building a prospect list for a South African recruitment agency.
• Process: The AI identifies potential clients based on specified criteria, such as video production agencies or YouTube channels.
• Findings:
  • Perplexity was excellent for generating a list of over 100 prospects quickly.
  • Grok provided a large list broken down by country and agency type.
  • Gemini required more refinement but provided a table with agency name, specialization, and location.
  • ChatGPT found fewer prospects but included email addresses and LinkedIn profiles.
• Limitations: Deep research is not effective at finding specific email addresses.
• Automation Potential: Use the Perplexity API to generate prospect lists automatically.

6. Use Case 4: Data Enrichment for Personalized Cold Email Outreach

• Goal: Adding a convincing level of personalization to cold emails.
• Process: The AI researches prospects to identify unique aspects and recent achievements, generating a 200-word report for each.
• Findings:
  • ChatGPT excelled at both research and writing condensed "I noticed" sentences.
  • Claude struggled to create authentic-sounding observations.
  • Perplexity is good enough to do this in one shot.
• Prompt Example: "Research my prospect list to find interesting things that the company does that I can use for my email openers and hooks."
• Automation Potential: Combine Perplexity API for research with ChatGPT API for email drafting to create personalized cold emails at scale.

7. Use Case 5: Fact-Checking

• Application: Verifying claims made in articles, reports, or presentations.
• Process: The AI compares information to original sources, such as patents or research papers, to identify inaccuracies.
• Example: Fact-checking a blog post about topical authority by comparing claims to Google patents.
• Findings:
  • Gemini was the best at fact-checking, likely due to Google's access to patent information.
  • Perplexity was more critical but included some irrelevant comparisons.
  • Grok provided general information but did not effectively fact-check.
• Benefits: Helps ensure the accuracy of information and identify areas for further investigation.

8. Use Case 6: Analyzing Trends and Establishing New Trends in Industry

• Objective: Identifying emerging trends and topics for content creation.
• Process: The AI analyzes social media, blogs, YouTube, Reddit, and other platforms to identify trending sub-topics.
• Findings:
  • Generally disappointing results, with the AI providing high-level, generic topics.
  • Gemini provided specific tool recommendations within its reports.
  • ChatGPT was better at identifying specific trends but lacked tool-focused insights.
• Alternative: Scraping Reddit or social media for trending topics may be more effective.
• Content Briefs: Deep research can be useful for generating content briefs by identifying interesting facts and user sentiments.

9. Use Case 7: Staying Ahead of Legal Issues

• Objective: Identifying potential legal issues that could affect a business.
• Process: The AI researches relevant laws and regulations based on the business's activities and locations.
• Findings:
  • Grok and Perplexity were too focused and did not research broadly enough.
  • ChatGPT and Gemini identified relevant US laws and privacy regulations.
  • Gemini's output was difficult to read, while ChatGPT presented information in a more organized manner.
• Actionable Recommendations: Conduct a comprehensive data privacy audit considering GDPR and UK data laws.

10. Automation and Integration

• API Availability: Perplexity is the only platform with a readily available API, making it ideal for automation.
• Make.com Integration: Use Make.com to chain together different AI processes, such as prospect list generation, data enrichment, and email drafting.
• Workflow Example:
  1. Use an LLM to brainstorm prospect types.
  2. Run the brainstormed list through Perplexity Deep Search API.
  3. Reformat the output into a spreadsheet.
  4. Use another automation to read the spreadsheet and perform deep research on each company.
  5. Use ChatGPT API to write personalized email openers.
  6. Draft emails in your inbox for review and sending.

11. Synthesis/Conclusion

AI Deep Research offers significant potential for business owners to automate time-consuming tasks, gain competitive insights, and improve decision-making. While challenges remain in terms of formatting, accuracy, and cost, the technology is rapidly evolving, and early adopters can gain a competitive advantage. The key is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different platforms, craft effective prompts, and integrate AI deep research into existing workflows. The future of AI agents lies in their ability to not only research but also act on the information they gather, further streamlining business processes and driving efficiency.