ChatGPT Plus Unpacked Is It Your Next Research Partner

ChatGPT has profoundly shifted how many, including professionals, approach their work. Over the past year, OpenAI, the minds behind ChatGPT, has consistently released updates, enhancing the AI chatbot's intelligence, accuracy, and overall utility. As a journalist, I personally find ChatGPT invaluable for research, streamlining the process of finding sources and information that would otherwise demand hours of sifting through Google search results or academic papers. This review scores ChatGPT Plus a strong 9.0 out of 10.

My recent experience with the GPT-4.5 Research Preview, a beta for the upcoming GPT-4.5 model, has only amplified my anticipation for its full release. While some early adopters on Reddit voiced that it wasn't a massive leap from GPT-4o, OpenAI appears to have made notable improvements. I found its capability to scour the web for specific information, like decade-old quotes from Google executives, to be a significant time-saver, performing closer to OpenAI's advanced "reasoning" models, o1 and o3. This level of performance helps justify the $20 per month subscription fee.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging copyright infringement in the training and operation of its AI systems.)

Unpacking ChatGPT Plus: Is It Worth the $20 Monthly Fee?

A ChatGPT Plus subscription offers more than just access to a powerful AI chatbot with increased usage limits. For $20 a month, subscribers benefit from fewer interruptions during high-traffic periods and gain access to advanced models like GPT-4o and the specialized reasoning models o1 and o3. The package also includes voice chat with memory, allowing for ongoing, context-aware conversations. Image generation comes with higher rate limits, so creating multiple images is smoother. Additionally, there's limited access to the Deep Research function, designed for technical fields such as finance, science, policy, and engineering.

Key advantages of ChatGPT Plus include:

• High accuracy in information retrieval and synthesis.
• Access to powerful reasoning models, excellent for research tasks.
• Voice mode for extended, conversational interactions.
• Long-term memory for personalized and continuous dialogue.
• Robust image generation capabilities.
• Tools for analyzing documents and images.
• The ability to create custom GPTs tailored to specific needs.
• A suite of tools for more specialized or niche tasks.

The primary drawback noted is that the AI can still occasionally "hallucinate" or generate incorrect information, a common challenge in current AI models.

Feature Deep Dive: What Powers ChatGPT Plus?

Beyond base access, a Plus subscription allows users to create custom GPTs, which are bespoke AI bots expert in specific tasks or topics. For those not inclined to build their own, a vast selection of community-created GPTs is available, accessible even to free users.

If you find Google Search increasingly frustrating, prefer direct answers, or frequently hit usage limits on the free ChatGPT, a Plus subscription is likely a sound investment. The higher rate limits, priority access, and enhanced image generation are significant perks.

Our Approach to Reviewing AI

When CNET's AI Atlas launched, my AI reviews involved rigid tests and result comparisons, much like standard tech product reviews. However, AI benchmarking doesn't always paint the full picture, a topic of ongoing debate. For 2025, I've adopted a more experiential approach, reporting on the day-to-day experience of living with these AI models rather than comparing them on identical, narrow questions.

Navigating Privacy in the Age of AI Chatbots

It's crucial to understand that a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription doesn't guarantee complete data privacy. Like any online AI chatbot, uploaded data can potentially be used by OpenAI. Therefore, avoid uploading sensitive information such as tax documents, medical records, financial details, login credentials, proprietary business data, or any personally identifiable documentation. For more details, refer to OpenAI's privacy policy page.

If you have strong concerns about data usage, you can opt-out of model training by navigating to ChatGPT settings, selecting Data Controls, and disabling "improve model for everyone." ChatGPT also offers a Temporary Chats function for an incognito-like mode where chat data isn't stored or used for training. Chat history can be deleted and is removed from OpenAI's servers after 30 days. However, OpenAI will still retain some data, including account registration details, IP address, browser, and device information.

ChatGPT Plus for Research: A New Paradigm Beyond Google?

While Google remains my default for many online search queries, I turn to ChatGPT when I anticipate Google won't provide the quickest or most comprehensive answer. For instance, looking up recent news on newspaper closures is a simple Google Search. But if I need to determine how many publications have closed in the US since Google's 1998 debut, that's a task for ChatGPT, as it involves parsing complex data across decades.

Given the move away from Google and its sometimes less-than-accurate AI Overviews, I expect high-quality answers from ChatGPT. In my experience, it's very accurate for gathering and synthesizing information. However, students should use ChatGPT as a resource and write essays in their own words to avoid academic integrity issues.

ChatGPT Plus, using the GPT-4.5 Research Preview, capably compiled sources for a report on Google's impact on publishers. It did, however, link to a defunct AP article, underscoring the need for users to verify evidence. Despite this, the compiled information was largely correct, though its frequent citation of Wikipedia is a minor quibble, as most academic settings frown upon it as a primary source. Interestingly, follow-up questions to my initial query sometimes lacked source citations, requiring a switch back to Google for verification, even if the information itself was accurate.

The Edge of Reasoning: How o1 and o3 Models Transform Research

The most significant research advantage of ChatGPT Plus over the free version is access to the advanced o1 and o3 reasoning models. These models invest more time in text generation, recursively checking content for accuracy. Responses can take over a minute but are better suited for thorough research than quick queries.

Using o3, I successfully compiled an in-depth timeline and conclusion on the relationship between online publishers and Google in the late 1990s, tracing the origins of today's dominant free online news model. Follow-up questions, though taking a minute to answer, yielded content well worth the wait. The o3 model detailed concepts like the Robots Exclusion Protocol, Google's site indexing tools, and First Click Free. While I was familiar with much of this, o3 excelled at unearthing and organizing this complex history, including major milestones and providing sources.

For journalists, students, and researchers, access to o1 and o3 feels almost indispensable. In a search landscape where Google often prioritizes recency over relevancy, these models can delve deep into the internet's archives, making research less arduous. Nevertheless, engaging with primary sources remains crucial for a complete understanding.

Creative Capabilities: Image Generation in ChatGPT Plus

As a writer, I don't frequently use ChatGPT for image generation, but I experiment with it occasionally, sometimes trying to replicate styles from "AI artists" on Instagram who often keep their prompts secret. To test its capabilities, I used an openly available prompt from CivitAI.

Below is an image generated by user Frimm0 on CivitAI:

An AI-generated cute bird monster. Credit: Grimm0/CivitAI

And here's ChatGPT's rendition with the same prompt: Prompt: a cute adorable anthropomorphic eyeball monster dressed like a parrot, round body, plump kiwi shape, fluffy fur, forest, sunlight, soft natural light. cute, big-eye, adorable, brightly colored, cheerful, anime influence, naughty face, laughing, happy, playful, cheerful, bright, vibrant, light-hearted, characters, digital, fantasy, illustration, manga-anime, portraits, whimsy, 3d-rendering, concept-art, digital, dreaminess, eeriness, photorealism, other-worldliness, realism, science-fiction, surreal, colorful

AI-generated cute bird monster by ChatGPT. Credit: Imad Khan/CNET

The primary advantage of ChatGPT Plus for image generation is avoiding rate limits. Free users might wait over an hour for a single image during peak times, and that image might exhaust their token limit for hours. With Plus, images typically generate within two minutes. A Plus subscription also grants access to Sora, OpenAI's tool for image and video creation. While free users have limited Sora access, it's best utilized with a Plus subscription.

Enhanced Conversations: The Role of Memory in ChatGPT Plus

ChatGPT Plus's memory retention is a key differentiator from the free version. It can recall past conversations, learning more about you to tailor responses. This is particularly useful in voice mode, enabling more natural, ongoing dialogues. While the free version has a limited trial of voice mode without memory, OpenAI introduced some light memory features for free users in June.

For example, while building an AI-capable PC at CNET, I could ask ChatGPT in a new chat about CPU changes and power supply compatibility, and it understood the context from previous discussions. This is handy as I didn't need to revisit old chat windows.

For those using AI for more profound interactions, including therapy, memory retention is vital. OpenAI expanded memory capabilities earlier this year, but users relying on ChatGPT for daily emotional support can still face memory limits. For individuals who form deep emotional connections with AI chatbots, memory resets can be distressing. If you need ChatGPT as an emotional support or friend, be aware that it might eventually reset, requiring re-prompting. A Plus subscription can mitigate this.

Shopping with AI: ChatGPT Plus as a Buying Guide

OpenAI expanded ChatGPT's shopping capabilities earlier this year, extending them to free users. I find ChatGPT invaluable for comparison shopping, consolidating information from reviews, Reddit posts, and other sites.

Recently, I sought advice on upgrading my 2021 home gaming rig. After inputting my specs, ChatGPT provided sound component upgrade recommendations. It suggested replacing my AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. However, this CPU is out of production. When I asked where to buy it, issues arose.

ChatGPT's shopping assistance. Credit: Imad Khan/CNET

It directed me to Newegg for a supposed $199 sale, but the link was dead, and the price inaccurate. It also recommended two unfamiliar sites selling the CPU for over $500; those links worked. As an alternative, ChatGPT suggested the slightly weaker 5700X3D, claiming a negligible performance drop. Bizarrely, it again provided buying links for the 5800X3D at Newegg for $199.

Screenshot showing the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X on Newegg, not the 5800X3D. Credit: Imad Khan/CNET

Upon investigation, ChatGPT was linking to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, a different CPU. This mistake could easily mislead an unwary buyer. Despite this, ChatGPT remains a powerful shopping tool, but OpenAI needs to refine product linking accuracy.

Simplifying Complexity: Document Analysis with ChatGPT Plus

When the 115-page judgment on the Google antitrust case was released, AI was the perfect tool for sifting through the dense legalese. Unlike ChatGPT Free, which initially summarized an entirely different case, ChatGPT Plus performed as requested. It effectively combed through the filing, extracting key points into bulleted lists. I found no errors or hallucinations in its analysis, and follow-up questions about the trial were summarized clearly and understandably.

The Final Take: Should You Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus?

For $20 per month, OpenAI delivers incredible value to frequent AI users. For students, journalists, and researchers, it automates the chore of parsing vast amounts of information in seconds, accelerating the path to answers. In an era of short-form content, ChatGPT essentially does this for any information ever published online. (Of course, summarizing isn't a substitute for deep reading, but that's another discussion.)

This review only scratches the surface. Beyond text generation, ChatGPT can analyze photos and documents, acting as a potent pocket assistant. For instance, while trying on jeans, I sent a mirror selfie to ChatGPT; it suggested a different pair in a smaller size that fit better – a task previously requiring a sales attendant or a fashion-savvy friend. Furthermore, there's a massive library of custom GPTs, a studio for building your own AI bots, and coding assistance, all features not extensively covered here.

If you consistently hit rate limits on the free ChatGPT, upgrading is a wise move. ChatGPT Plus, with its more advanced models, including the slower but more thorough "reasoning" models, makes traditional Google keyword searching feel increasingly anachronistic. Overall, ChatGPT Plus earns a 9.0/10 for its comprehensive feature set and research capabilities.