OpenAI takes aim at Anthropic with beefed-up Codex that gives it more power over your desktop

OpenAI has significantly upgraded its Codex AI coding assistant, introducing a powerful new 'agentic' capability that allows it to run in the background on a user's Mac. These agents can open desktop applications, control the cursor to click and type, and perform tasks autonomously while the user continues their own work. This move is a direct challenge to Anthropic's Claude Code, which recently gained similar remote desktop control features. OpenAI frames the new agents as a 'coding buddy' that can handle auxiliary tasks like iterating on frontend changes, testing apps, or working in apps without APIs.

Beyond desktop control, the Codex revamp includes several other major features. A new in-app browser allows users to issue commands for the agent to execute on specific web applications, targeting front-end and game development. A 'memory' feature (in preview) enables Codex to recall previous work sessions and user context. The assistant also gains image-generation abilities for creating mockups and slide visuals, plus integrations with 111 third-party plugins like CodeRabbit and GitLab Issues, allowing it to perform clerical work across tools like Slack and Google Calendar. A new pay-as-you-go pricing option for enterprise customers completes the package, signaling OpenAI's intensified focus on the corporate market against Anthropic.