OpenAI has launched a research preview of its latest AI tool for software development—Codex, a cloud-based engineering agent capable of independently performing multiple programming tasks. Available now for ChatGPT Pro, Team, and Enterprise users, Codex is positioned as a significant step in OpenAI’s strategy to expand deeper into the fast-evolving AI-assisted coding landscape.
Built on codex-1, a variant of OpenAI’s o3 model customised for software engineering, the agent can write new code, identify and fix bugs, execute test cases, and answer queries about existing codebases. What sets Codex apart is its ability to function autonomously in cloud sandboxes while maintaining access to a developer’s repository, allowing for parallel task execution without direct human input during runtime.
OpenAI’s engineering lead, Srinivas Narayanan, described Codex as a “fundamentally new way of working,” emphasising its potential to shift how developers interact with code. Unlike current co-pilots that assist in real time, Codex operates independently and returns results in one to 30 minutes, depending on task complexity.
The release comes amid growing competition in AI coding tools, with major players like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and startups like Anysphere, which developed Cursor, heavily investing in the space. OpenAI is also reportedly in talks to acquire Windsurf, an AI coding startup, for around $3 billion, though both companies have declined to comment on the speculation.
Despite OpenAI’s dominance in consumer AI chatbots, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University suggest that other models, such as Anthropic’s Sonnet, have gained greater traction among developers. Codex, however, claims to outperform competitors in tasks requiring alignment with an organisation’s coding style and offers advanced capabilities for code reviews.
The company said it would use the research preview to gather user feedback, improve safety mechanisms, and better understand developer workflows. OpenAI has emphasised that this release is part of a broader effort to introduce advanced technologies and iterate based on real-world usage responsibly.
Codex is expected to roll out to ChatGPT Plus and educational accounts shortly, further expanding access to what could be one of OpenAI’s most transformative tools for professional developers
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