OpenAI just made a big move by rolling out its AI coding assistant, Codex, to all ChatGPT Plus users. Previously, Codex was exclusive to Enterprise, Team, or Pro users, so now individual developers and smaller teams can access powerful coding help right inside ChatGPT.
Here’s what’s new and exciting about Codex with this update:
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Internet access during coding: Codex can now fetch external resources, install dependencies, interact with staging servers, and run tests that need internet access. It’s off by default, but you can enable it and control exactly which websites it can visit and how it communicates, adding a smart layer of security.
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Voice input: Developers can speak their coding instructions instead of typing. This is a neat boost for speeding up workflows, plus it improves accessibility for people who prefer voice or have difficulties typing.
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Smarter pull request management: Codex used to create a new pull request for every change, which could clutter repositories. Now it can update existing pull requests, making it easier to handle ongoing work smoothly.
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Performance upgrades: Faster setup scripts, better iOS support, improved GitHub connection, and simplified login for teams using social logins or single sign-on (no more forced two-factor authentication).
Codex is powered by a specialized version of OpenAI’s o3 model, trained on real software projects with reinforcement learning. It’s designed to write, debug, and test code that fits human coding style and workflows.
Using Codex in ChatGPT is straightforward: just pick “Code” from the sidebar after typing a prompt to start a coding task or “Ask” if you want help understanding existing code. Each coding task runs in its own sandbox for safety, takes 1–30 minutes depending on complexity, and you can track progress live.
This update makes AI-assisted coding way more accessible and flexible, whether you’re a solo developer or part of a small team. Would you like tips on how to use Codex effectively or some example prompts to get started?
