Introduction to OpenAI's New AI Tool
OpenAI has announced the launch of Codex, a cloud-based AI coding agent designed to assist software engineers in various programming tasks. This new tool is now available for ChatGPT Pro, Team, and Enterprise users, with upcoming support for Plus and Edu users. Codex is built on Codex-1, a version of OpenAI's O3 reasoning model specifically optimized for software engineering.
Capabilities of Codex
Codex offers a wide range of capabilities, including writing new code, debugging, providing insights on codebases, and suggesting pull requests. Each task is performed in a separate cloud environment that is preloaded with the user's code repository. 
The completion time for tasks can vary from one to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the task at hand.
Interaction with Codex
Users can interact with Codex through the ChatGPT interface. The tool is capable of reading and editing files, executing commands like test harnesses and linters, and offering logs and test outputs. Additionally, Codex's actions are traceable, allowing users to review the steps taken during task completion. 
Users can also guide Codex by utilizing AGENTS.md files in the repository, providing information on project standards and preferred workflows.
Security and Usability
Codex is trained to reject requests related to malicious software development and operates in a secure, isolated environment without internet access. 
Organizations have reported that Codex aids engineers in maintaining focus by handling background tasks and highlighting potential tasks that may be overlooked. The tool is positioned as an effective assistant rather than a replacement for software engineers, targeting routine tasks to enable developers to concentrate on more intricate challenges.
