OpenAI is folding Codex into the ChatGPT app — and taking aim at Claude Cowork

OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 launch on Thursday was widely expected, but in addition to the new models, the company also made a few other major product announcements, including the launch of ChatGPT Work, its Codex-based agentic tool for knowledge workers that will compete with Claude Cowork.

OpenAI is also collapsing the ChatGPT and Codex desktop apps into a single app, akin to what Anthropic has done with its Claude desktop app, too.

The superapp takes shape

At the core of this is OpenAI’s continuous efforts to build its superapp, and while it originally looked like Codex was going to become that overarching app that integrates all of the OpenAI services, it’s actually the ChatGPT app that is absorbing everything — or at least it’s the branding that OpenAI is choosing to focus on because it looks like this is mostly a rebranding and expansion of the Codex app — not a rebuild of the existing ChatGPT app.

“Codex is now part of a broader ChatGPT desktop app,” an OpenAI spokesperson told The New Stack. “Within the ChatGPT desktop app, ChatGPT Work is for those looking to tackle a broader range of complex projects, bringing Codex’s agentic capabilities across web, mobile, and desktop, while Codex itself remains focused on software development.”

ChatGPT Work

ChatGPT Work is the most important launch here. “With Codex technology built-in, ChatGPT can now move beyond answering questions to getting real work done across web, mobile, and desktop,” OpenAI writes in its announcement and notes that many Codex users were already using it for non-coding tasks.

This is pretty much the exact same pitch Anthropic is making for Claude Cowork as well, and Cowork, too, grew out of the fact that knowledge workers started using Claude Code.

In terms of capabilities, ChatGPT Work is pretty much what you’d expect. It is meant to help kick off complex agentic workflows based on documents, spreadsheets, and other assets — and/or to create them. It can pull in data from third-party services and use tools as necessary, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, SharePoint, calendars, CRM services, and others.

Credit: OpenAI.

One feature of ChatGPT Work OpenAI stresses is that it is available on the desktop, but also on the web and mobile. Claude Cowork was desktop-bound until only a few days ago, but from the outset, ChatGPT Work users can start tasks on their phone and continue on the web or desktop as needed.

Since the ChatGPT app can access files and apps, though, and has a built-in browser, the desktop will likely be where most users will want to use the tool.

Like Claude Cowork, ChatGPT Work also features the ability to schedule tasks (aptly named ‘Scheduled Tasks’). There is no need to keep a laptop open to run these since they will run in the cloud.

Credit: OpenAI.

ChatGPT and Codex become one

With this launch, Codex is merging into the ChatGPT desktop app. For developers already used to the Codex app, not much changes with this, OpenAI says. “Codex keeps its dedicated coding experience alongside Chat and Work, with inline editing in diffs, pull request review in the side panel, faster Computer Use powered by GPT-5.6, and multi-repository projects,” the company writes.

Credit: OpenAI.

If you already have Codex installed, the next update will automatically give you the new app (though with the ability to keep the Codex app icon). Virtually nothing else is changing, it seems.

What is interesting, though, is that the basic chat interface has almost been relegated to a minor feature in the app now. It’s a capability that now sits in the sidebar next to the ability to manage scheduled tasks and plugins. Work and Codex are the two modes users can switch between — chat is not one of them.

Atlas shrugged

The new app still includes the built-in browser, which is especially useful when it comes to browser-use tasks, but OpenAI is also launching a new Chrome extension that brings ChatGPT right into the Chrome sidebar. And that’s also the end of OpenAI’s Atlas browser.

“These capabilities build on what we learned from Atlas and from the users who helped us understand how agentic tools can make browser-based work more useful,” the company writes. “We’ll begin sunsetting the standalone Atlas browser, and will share information with users about how to transition to ChatGPT.”

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