The Rise of Open Source Innovation: How Jina AI’s Han Xiao Replicated OpenAI's Deep Research
In a bold move that highlights the explosive growth of open-source AI development, Jina AI's CEO rapidly replicates OpenAI's Deep Research system, offering a cost-effective and widely accessible alternative that could redefine AI research dynamics.

The Rise of Open Source Innovation: How Jina AI’s Han Xiao Replicated OpenAI's Deep Research
In a remarkable demonstration of the rapid pace of AI innovation, Jina AI's CEO, Han Xiao, has developed an open-source alternative to OpenAI’s newly launched Deep Research system within hours of its debut. Dubbed node-DeepResearch, Xiao's creation leverages a modular architecture to replicate the search-and-analysis capabilities of OpenAI’s proprietary system at a fraction of the cost. This event underscores the dynamic evolution of AI development, where open-source initiatives are increasingly challenging proprietary technologies, driving innovation and accessibility.
Development and Features
Xiao's project, initiated immediately after the launch of Deep Research, integrates widely available technologies such as:
- Google’s Gemini Flash for reasoning
- Jina Reader for webpage parsing
- Search engines like Brave and DuckDuckGo
This combination enables node-DeepResearch to perform complex tasks by iteratively searching, reading, and synthesizing information through a continuous loop process. The project gained significant attention, amassing over 500 stars and 50 forks on GitHub within its first hours online.
Cost-Effectiveness and Accessibility
OpenAI’s Deep Research, part of the ChatGPT Pro plan, is priced at $200/month and limits users to 100 queries monthly. In contrast, node-DeepResearch offers a cost-effective solution by utilizing off-the-shelf APIs, effectively democratizing access to advanced AI research tools. As AI technology continues to evolve, the interplay between open-source and proprietary systems will likely catalyze further advancements, making sophisticated AI capabilities more accessible to developers and researchers worldwide.