OpenAI is launching a desktop app for its artificial intelligence coding assistant, Codex. Codex is temporarily available to all ChatGPT users with Apple computers.
The new app has a simple interface and is designed to serve as a “command center” that makes it easy for software developers to manage multiple AI agents at once, according to OpenAI.
An AI agent is a tool that can do tasks, like writing code, independently on a user’s behalf.
According to OpenAI, Codex provides a focused space for multi-tasking with agents. Agents run in separate threads organized by projects, so users can switch between tasks seamlessly without losing context.
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The app allows users to review the agent’s changes in the thread, comment on the diff, and open in the user’s editor to make manual changes. It also includes built-in support for worktrees, so multiple agents can work on the same repo without conflicts.
OpenAI also says that Codex is evolving from an agent that writes code into one that uses code to get work done. Skills allows users to extend Codex beyond code generation to tasks that require gathering and synthesizing information, problem-solving, writing, and more.
The Codex app includes a library of skills for tools and workflows that have become popular at OpenAI, including implementation of designs, managing projects, deploying to the cloud, image generation, building OpenAI APIs, and creating documents.
This new app has been seen as a part of OpenAI’s efforts to catch up to its rivals in the AI coding space. The company lags behind others, particularly Anthropic which has dominated the coding market with its Claude Code tool.
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Anthropic says Claude Code reached $1 billion in revenue, on an annualized basis, in the six months after it was made available to the public.
OpenAI CEO said that Codex is “the most loved internal product we’ve ever had” during a briefing with reporters on Friday. “It’s been totally an amazing thing for us to be using recently at OpenAI,” Altman said. ”’I’ve been staying up late at night with excitement, building all sorts of things myself.”
With the launch of the app, OpenAI said it is also making Codex available to its free users and its low-cost Go subscription tier for a limited time. This means ChatGPT users can use Codex across all its available interfaces, including the app for those with Apple computers. The company also said it is temporarily doubling its rate limits across its paid plans. “As fast as I can type in new ideas, that is the limit of what can get built,” Altman said. “It’s very cool to watch.