Bottom line: Codex aims to streamline routine programming work and set a new standard for AI-driven software engineering. As the technology matures, OpenAI envisions Codex and similar agents playing an increasingly central role in the future of software development. OpenAI has introduced Codex, a new AI-powered coding agent now available as a research preview to select ChatGPT subscribers. This launch marks a significant milestone for the company, signaling its ambition to redefine how software engineers interact with artificial intelligence in their daily workflows. Codex is built on a specialized version of OpenAI's o3 reasoning model, known as codex-1, which has been fine-tuned specifically for software engineering. This model was trained using reinforcement learning on various coding tasks, enabling it to generate cleaner, more reliable code that closely follows user instructions. Codex provides citations of terminal logs and test outputs, allowing users to trace each step during task completion. Unlike earlier models, codex-1 iteratively tests its output, ensuring its code passes necessary checks before presenting it to the user. This approach addresses longstanding concerns about AI-generated code quality, security, and transparency. The agent operates within a cloud-based sandbox that mirrors the user's development environment. By connecting to GitHub, Codex can preload a user's code repositories, allowing it to write new features, fix bugs, answer questions about the codebase, and run tests. // Related Stories Each task is performed in a distinct, isolated container, where the agent logs its actions, cites test results, and summarizes changes for easy review. Depending on their complexity, tasks can range from a minute to half an hour, and Codex is capable of handling multiple assignments simultaneously without interrupting the user's workflow. On coding evaluations and internal benchmarks, codex-1 shows strong performance even without AGENTS.md files or custom scaffolding. To make Codex more effective and adaptable to individual projects, developers can include an "AGENTS.md" file in their repositories. This file guides the AI, outlining project context, coding standards, and stylistic conventions – much like a README, but tailored for an AI agent. Codex is also designed to infer coding style from the codebase. Safety and security are part of Codex's design. The agent operates in an air-gapped environment, cut off from the broader internet and external APIs. This isolation minimizes the risk of misuse, such as the development of malicious software or unauthorized access to sensitive data. OpenAI has also implemented advanced monitoring systems that detect and flag potentially harmful requests in real time. Codex is programmed to refuse requests to develop malware or engage in other unethical activities. Despite these safeguards, OpenAI emphasizes that users must manually review and validate all AI-generated code before integrating it into production, as generative AI systems remain prone to errors. The Codex agent communicates with the user when uncertain or faced with test failures. Codex's research preview is currently available to ChatGPT Pro, Enterprise, and Team subscribers, with plans to expand access to ChatGPT Plus and Edu users shortly. Users will have access to the tool at no additional cost during the initial rollout; however, OpenAI intends to introduce rate limits and a paid credit system as demand increases. The release of Codex comes amid a surge in demand for AI-powered coding assistants, often referred to as "vibe coders." The market for these tools is rapidly expanding, with competitors like Anthropic and Google releasing or updating their agentic coding products. OpenAI, as another example, recently acquired Windsurf, a major player in the space, for billion, underscoring the high stakes in this rapidly growing sector. Compared to OpenAI o3, codex-1 produces cleaner patches ready for human review and integration into standard workflows. According to OpenAI, major companies have already evaluated and adopted Codex. Cisco is testing the tool to speed up engineering workflows, while Superhuman uses Codex to improve test coverage and enable non-engineers to contribute code changes. Kodiak, an autonomous vehicle company, leverages Codex to enhance code reliability and gain insights into complex software stacks. Temporal uses it for background tasks like debugging and test writing. While Codex represents a leap forward from its predecessor, the original Codex model that powered GitHub Copilot, OpenAI acknowledges the tool's current limitations. The agent does not yet support image inputs for frontend development, and users cannot intervene while a task is running. Delegating work to the remote agent can take longer than local, interactive editing, but OpenAI anticipates that future versions will enable more complex, asynchronous collaboration, with agents capable of handling extended, multifaceted tasks. #openai #launches #codex #new #coding