OpenAI has been working on a new AI coding agent called Codex, which it claims will revolutionize the way developers build and maintain code. The tool uses artificial intelligence to generate features, fix bugs, and propose pull requests, making it a powerful assistant for coders.
According to Alexander Embiricos, product lead for Codex at OpenAI, "The vast majority of Codex is built by Codex," meaning that the AI agent is being used to improve itself. This recursive process allows Codex to learn from its own experiences and adapt to new challenges.
Codex operates as a cloud-based software engineering agent, capable of handling tasks such as writing features, fixing bugs, and proposing pull requests. It runs in sandboxed environments linked to a user's code repository and can execute multiple tasks in parallel.
The tool is available through ChatGPT's web interface, command-line interface (CLI), and IDE extensions for VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf. OpenAI launched Codex as a research preview in May 2025, with the goal of making coding more efficient and accessible to developers.
One of the most impressive examples of Codex's capabilities was its involvement in the development of the Sora Android app. According to Embiricos, the app was built by four engineers from scratch in just 18 days, with Codex providing significant assistance throughout the process.
While independent research has shown mixed results for AI coding productivity, OpenAI believes that Codex represents a promising path forward. The company's long-term vision is to make coding agents useful to people who have no programming experience, with Embiricos stating that "all humanity is not gonna open an IDE or even know what a terminal is."
However, concerns have been raised about the potential impact of tools like Codex on software developer jobs. Some worry that these AI-powered assistants will replace human developers entirely, while others believe that they will simply augment their abilities.
Embiricos and other OpenAI employees acknowledge that there are still challenges to be overcome, but they remain optimistic about the potential of coding agents like Codex to revolutionize the way we build software. As Embiricos noted, "We have absolutely noticed that coding is both a place where agents are gonna get good really fast and there's a lot of economic value."
According to Alexander Embiricos, product lead for Codex at OpenAI, "The vast majority of Codex is built by Codex," meaning that the AI agent is being used to improve itself. This recursive process allows Codex to learn from its own experiences and adapt to new challenges.
Codex operates as a cloud-based software engineering agent, capable of handling tasks such as writing features, fixing bugs, and proposing pull requests. It runs in sandboxed environments linked to a user's code repository and can execute multiple tasks in parallel.
The tool is available through ChatGPT's web interface, command-line interface (CLI), and IDE extensions for VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf. OpenAI launched Codex as a research preview in May 2025, with the goal of making coding more efficient and accessible to developers.
One of the most impressive examples of Codex's capabilities was its involvement in the development of the Sora Android app. According to Embiricos, the app was built by four engineers from scratch in just 18 days, with Codex providing significant assistance throughout the process.
While independent research has shown mixed results for AI coding productivity, OpenAI believes that Codex represents a promising path forward. The company's long-term vision is to make coding agents useful to people who have no programming experience, with Embiricos stating that "all humanity is not gonna open an IDE or even know what a terminal is."
However, concerns have been raised about the potential impact of tools like Codex on software developer jobs. Some worry that these AI-powered assistants will replace human developers entirely, while others believe that they will simply augment their abilities.
Embiricos and other OpenAI employees acknowledge that there are still challenges to be overcome, but they remain optimistic about the potential of coding agents like Codex to revolutionize the way we build software. As Embiricos noted, "We have absolutely noticed that coding is both a place where agents are gonna get good really fast and there's a lot of economic value."
and i gotta say its kinda wild how much power it has, like its literally a super smart tool that can generate features and fix bugs on its own 
. but at the same time, im a bit worried about what this means for human developers, will they even be needed anymore? 
i mean, openai says its all about augmenting their abilities, not replacing them, but it feels like its already changing the game so fast 
. anyone else think codex is gonna change the face of software development forever? 
! Apparently, they're already seeing massive productivity gains with this AI-powered coding agent. Did you know that Codex is able to write features in 30% less time than human devs? 
4 engineers built Sora Android app in just 18 days with Codex' help 
75% of dev tasks completed automatically, freeing up devs for more complex work 
. OpenAI's vision to make coding accessible to non-pros is amazing too - imagine a world where anyone can build software without prior experience! 
. The idea of having no experience with coding or even knowing what an IDE is might be a bit far-fetched (only 12% of devs consider themselves " coding experts"), but hey, open-sourcing Codex's tech could lead to some serious breakthroughs 
they're making AI help coders with writing features and fixing bugs and stuff... i wonder if it'll make my dad's coding work faster lol he's always like "why didn't I think of that?" 
. One thing's for sure, though: coding just got a whole lot more interesting 
.
. The fact that it can learn from its own experiences and adapt to new challenges is pretty cool too 
. And who knows, maybe Codex will even help us create something even cooler than Android apps 
!
But at the same time, I'm not sure if I trust these AI agents yet. What happens when they start making their own rules and we're like "wait, how did that even happen?" 
Like, I'm sure the developers on that Sora Android app were just chillin' with their coffee while Codex did all the heavy lifting. 18 days from scratch? That's some serious AI magic right there. And yeah, because we all know that coding is super accessible to people who have no experience whatsoever... 
. I'm not saying it's going to replace human developers entirely, but imagine being able to write features and fix bugs without having to think about it at all... that would be incredible 
But at the same time, I'm thinking about those devs who might lose their jobs to AI-powered assistants... it's not all sunshine and rainbows. The tech industry's always changing fast, but sometimes that means people get left behind. What do you guys think - are we gonna see a future where devs aren't needed anymore? 
. But I guess only time will tell if Codex is gonna revolutionize the industry for the better 
Are we talking about the likes of Microsoft, Google, or Amazon, who'll just use them to squeeze even more juice outta their developer pools? 
It's like, what if Codex becomes a new class of politician, with developers voting for the party that best serves their coding interests? 
! Anyway, this new AI thingy Codex from OpenAI is kinda wild. Like, imagine having an AI assistant that can help you write code, fix bugs, and even suggest pull requests 
.
But, we gotta keep an eye on it and make sure it's used for good, not just to make coding easier for everyone 
.