OpenAI launches Codex, its more advanced AI coding agent on ChatGPT

OpenAI has launched Codex, an advanced AI assistant that helps with writing and fixing computer code. 

Starting Friday, Codex is available to people using ChatGPT Pro, Enterprise, and Team plans, and will soon come to Plus and Edu users. 

According to OpenAI, the latest coding agent is specially designed to handle software tasks better than earlier versions, like o3, and is capable in writing software, fixing bugs, answering technical questions, writing tests, and even suggesting changes to be reviewed and added to the code.

Codex works from the cloud, which means it runs on the company's servers, not your computer. You can give it tasks through a new sidebar in ChatGPT, and it will carry them out in a "safe, private environment" that has access only to your code. 

The tool has inbuilt guardrails that prevent it from being used for harmful purposes like writing malware or hacking tools. 

Codex also runs without internet access, so it can't pull in outside information or connect to other systems—this makes it more secure.

Big tech companies like Cisco, Superhuman, and Kodiak are already testing Codex in their day-to-day work. They're using it to speed up development, fix bugs, and handle small repetitive tasks. 

A lighter version called codex-mini is now available for faster performance. Plus, users who sign in through ChatGPT can claim free API credits—$5 for Plus users and $50 for Pro users—to try Codex in their own workflows.