OpenAI counters Anthropic with major Codex update

OpenAI has expanded its Codex application for desktops with a major update. The most important new feature is background computer use: Codex should be able to directly control applications on the user's computer by recognizing screen content, clicking, and entering text. According to OpenAI, multiple agents can work in parallel in the background without disturbing other apps. The function is initially limited to macOS and is expected to be available in the EU soon.

Additionally, the Codex application will work directly with the web in the future: an integrated browser view allows users to comment on pages and thus give the agent specific instructions. The application can now also generate images and refine them directly within the workflow, for example for user interface drafts, mockups, or game graphics. In addition, OpenAI is expanding integration into existing tools: more than 90 new plug-ins connect Codex with services such as Jira, GitLab Issues, or the Microsoft Suite. This allows the assistant to incorporate more context from various applications and also perform actions through them.

OpenAI is also introducing a preview of a reminder function: the application will be able to remember preferences, corrections, and already collected information in the future. This should help to complete future tasks faster and with less additional guidance. Building on this, the app should proactively offer suggestions, for example, for next work steps, and bundle and prioritize relevant tasks from various services. Most of these functions will be available immediately, with the reminder function expected to follow soon in the EU.

Towards a “Super App” with Codex

The Codex update is part of a larger strategy that includes the development of a “Super App”, which is intended to combine the coding platform Codex, the chatbot ChatGPT, and the Atlas browser into a single desktop application.

Anthropic is already bundling similar agentic work functions to those OpenAI is combining in its Claude app with Cowork and Claude Code. With the latest Codex update, OpenAI is now catching up to its major competitor in several areas, but also setting its accents. Anthropic laid the foundation with “Computer Use” back in October 2024 and also integrated the function into Claude Cowork and Claude Code in March 2026. OpenAI is following suit with comparable functions in the Codex app, but primarily emphasizes the parallel background work of multiple agents and the ability to independently continue tasks over longer periods.

The announcement was made on the same day as the release of Opus 4.7, Anthropic's latest model.

(mack)