OpenAI has released a major update to Codex, expanding it from a coding assistant into a more autonomous AI tool for developers. The new version can control macOS apps in the background, run tests, and handle parts of real workflows instead of just generating code. It also introduces multi-agent support, where different AI agents can work on tasks like writing, debugging, and testing simultaneously. Along with this, Codex now has the memory to continue long projects across sessions. The update puts OpenAI in direct competition with Anthropic’s Claude Code, which has recently gained popularity among developers.
A key feature of the update is the introduction of multi-agent workflows. Instead of relying on a single AI instance handling a task sequentially, Codex can now deploy multiple specialized agents in parallel. At the same time, the ChatGPT maker has introduced persistent memory, allowing Codex to retain context across sessions, remember user preferences, and resume long-running tasks without starting over.
The system has also been more deeply integrated into developer workflows. Codex now connects more effectively with repositories, collaboration tools, and browser-based environments, allowing it to review code, track changes, and assist across the full development pipeline. By embedding itself into these tools, Codex is evolving into an active participant in software engineering rather than a standalone assistant.
Another notable addition is multimodal capability. Codex can now use GPT-image-1.5 to generate and refine images along with code. When combined with screenshots and program logic, this allows developers to build UI components, product mockups, game assets, and frontend designs within the same workflow.
“We’re also releasing more than 90 additional plugins, which combine skills, app integrations, and MCP servers to give Codex more ways to gather context and take action across your tools. Some of the new plugins developers will find most useful include Atlassian Rovo to help manage JIRA, CircleCI, CodeRabbit, GitLab Issues, Microsoft Suite, Neon by Databricks, Remotion, Render, and Superpowers,” the AI giant noted.
In terms of availability, the updated Codex is currently rolling out to desktop app users logged in with ChatGPT, with computer control features initially limited to macOS. Meanwhile, personalization features like memory and context-aware suggestions will expand soon to Enterprise, Edu, and users in the EU and UK. And broader regional access to these capabilities is expected in the coming phases.
The timing of this update becomes critical for OpenAI as competition intensifies with Anthropic’s Claude Code, which has gained traction for its strong reasoning abilities and performance across large codebases. While Codex has traditionally been faster and more execution-focused, it has lagged in handling long, complex workflows.
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Ashutosh is a Senior Writer at The Tech Portal, largely reporting on new tech, and intersection of technology and business. Ashutosh’s career spans across nearly a decade of technology writing across multiple platforms and languages.
