- What is Codex?OpenAI introduced Codex as a powerful AI coding agent integrated into ChatGPT. It’s designed to handle multiple software development tasks simultaneously—like implementing new features, fixing bugs, and answering questions about your codebase. Each task runs securely in its own cloud-based sandbox preloaded with your project’s repository. Codex is powered by a customized version of OpenAI’s o3 reasoning model, trained with reinforcement learning on real-world coding scenarios to produce human-like, instruction-accurate code that iteratively tests itself until successful.
-
Availability:The rollout has started for ChatGPT Pro, Enterprise, and Team subscribers, who get early access to this new coding assistant. Support for ChatGPT Plus and Edu users is coming soon, but no exact date has been given. This phased approach aims to make Codex’s coding capabilities widely available to professionals and students alike.
-
How to Use Codex:You access Codex directly via the ChatGPT sidebar. To assign coding tasks, enter a prompt and select “Code.” For questions or clarifications about your codebase, select “Ask.” It’s designed to be a seamless assistant in your development workflow.
-
How Codex Works:Codex completes tasks within 1 to 30 minutes depending on complexity, and you can watch its progress in real time. Each task is handled in an isolated workspace loaded with your code. Codex can read and modify files, run tests, linters, and type checkers to ensure quality before finalizing its work.
-
After Task Completion:Once finished, Codex commits changes inside its environment and provides transparent proof by sharing terminal logs and test outcomes. You can review its work, request modifications, create a GitHub pull request, or apply changes directly. The workspace can also be configured to closely mimic your local development setup for smooth integration.
In short, Codex is a cloud-based AI coding partner built into ChatGPT that helps developers with real-time coding tasks, complete with testing, version control, and transparency—bringing a new level of automation and support to software development.