I’ve noticed since yesterday that when I ask ChatGPT to tell me about something which usually requires internet research to gather information (current topics) it has been responding to me with something like
“Let me gather some information for you about that.” and then it goes nowhere.
If I follow up with a question like “so did you do it yet?” it apologizes for the delay and asks me to be patient as it gathers the information I requested.
This is a HUGE contrast to how ChatGPT used to “think” for a max of 5 seconds and then return a complete answer to my question.
What’s going on?
There is plenty of reputable source and indications that ChatGPT will soon have some “Tasks” feature. Similar to Gemini’s Deep Research, the model will perform work in the background and then alert you once it’s completed.
I believe it’s set for January, which in OpenAI time means Q2 
You were possibly caught in the transitioning period as OpenAI prepares their model for it.
Best bet is to destroy or backpedal the conversation and try rephrasing your query. I imagine you gave the model a laundry list of tasks. As of now, you need to iterate through them yourself.
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Hi @jonahsahn 
Are you using the free or paid version of ChatGPT?
Is the issue related to the web browser, Windows app, macOS app, or mobile devices?
Is your “web” tool is enable on personalization on settings, if you turned custom instruction on?
You can try accessing it on the mobile app using your mobile service provider’s internet, without a VPN or public Wi-Fi. If it works on your phone, the problem may lie with your browser or internet connection.
You can try the following:
- Clear your browser history, cookies, and cache.
- Disable any extensions or plugins in your browser.
- Log out and log back in.
- Alternatively, try using a different clean browser.
Additionally, if you can provide a screenshot, it could help others better understand the issue.
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Hi it’s the paid version. It started on my phone yesterday with one topic and when I woke up today and asked it for something else on my desktop, it did the same thing. Whereas previously, it would just return an answer after searching the internet for 3-5 seconds, now it just says something like “Let me gather some information” and then just sits there. I let it sit there and do something else and come back, like, an hour later, and it’s just sitting there. No indication that it’s working on anything, like a spinning wheel or anything. When I follow up asking “did you search for what I asked” it just apologizes and asks me to be patient. I’ve experienced this on both mobile, connected to wifi, and my direct connected PC desktop.
This is what I’m talking about
This is not some strange bug caused by local settings. Performing any sort of generic IT work won’t solve it.
Again, you’re most likely caught in a transitioning period.
You can explicitly set the Search
feature to force it to search. Otherwise you are at the whim of it’s decision-making, which, as of now, is most likely a model that is being tuned to be able to perform “Tasks” or “Operations”.
so then it’s just lying to me at this point. Wow.