OpenAI launches Codex, its most advanced AI coding agent yet
OpenAI has announced the launch of Codex, its most advanced AI coding agent yet.
Codex is now available to subscribers of ChatGPT Pro, Team, and Enterprise, with plans to extend access to ChatGPT Plus and Edu users soon.
The new Codex-1 agent is powered by a refined version of the o3 reasoning model and is designed specifically for software engineering tasks. OpenAI says it’ll produce “cleaner” code that adheres more closely to the instructions provided by users.
Codex will also take it upon itself to test and debug the code it writes until it achieves successful outcomes. It’ll do this within a secure, sandboxed environment within the cloud. Because of this, it won’t have access to your local machine.
Codex will work with GitHub to preload your code repositories. It’ll write features, fix bugs, and even generate pull requests, all while you can continue using your computer and browser for other tasks.
You’ll be able to assign tasks to Codex through the ChatGPT interface by entering a prompt and selecting the “Code” option. You’ll also be able to track the progress of your tasks.
OpenAI envisions Codex as a “virtual coworker” that can take on complex engineering tasks by itself, potentially saving developers hours or even days of work on a project, according to the company.
OpenAI is also updating Codex CLI with the o4-mini model. This update will be available through the company’s API, which costs $1.50 per million input tokens and $6 per million output tokens.
Safety measures are in place to ensure Codex isn’t used for malicious purposes. It will refuse requests for software that could be used harmfully, and because it operates in an air-gapped environment, there’s no way for it to be compromised.
However, the company acknowledges that AI coding systems can still make mistakes, as noted in a Microsoft study.
The launch comes at a time when demand for AI developer tools is surging. OpenAI’s main rivals are also gaining traction, with Anthropic’s Claude Code and Google’s Gemini Code Assist emerging as strong competitors. OpenAI is reportedly in the process of acquiring Windsurf, a rival coding platform, for $3 billion.
The launch of Codex is part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to enhance ChatGPT with additional functionality. New agents for video and web browsing are coming soon as the company looks to establish ChatGPT as a leading force in the next generation of developer tools.
