OpenAI updates Codex with background desktop control, matching Anthropic's Claude capabilities

OpenAI announced a major update to Codex on Thursday, adding background desktop control that allows the coding assistant to operate applications and manipulate cursors while users continue working on their Macs.

The update enables Codex to "deploy multiple agents, all of which work on a user's Mac in parallel, without interfering with your own work in other apps," according to OpenAI's blog post. The agents can open any desktop app and carry out operations including clicking and typing.

Desktop control capabilities

Codex now functions as what OpenAI calls a "coding buddy" that handles auxiliary tasks in the background. The company lists use cases including iterating on frontend changes, testing apps, and working in applications without API access.

The background operation feature closely resembles capabilities Anthropic launched for Claude Code last month, which allowed Claude and Cowork to remotely control Macs on users' behalf while they were away from their keyboards.

Additional features

OpenAI added an in-app browser to Codex, allowing users to issue commands that the agent executes on specific web applications. The company says this targets frontend and game development use cases and plans to expand the capability so Codex can "fully command the browser beyond web applications on localhost."

A preview feature called "memory" enables Codex to recall previous work sessions and generate context about individual user workflows.

Codex gained image-generation capabilities for creating product concepts, slide visuals, mockups, and placeholder images.

Plugin ecosystem and pricing

OpenAI announced 111 plugin integrations with tools including CodeRabbit and GitLab Issues. According to the company, these plugins enable Codex to handle clerical tasks like analyzing Slack channels and Google Calendar to generate daily to-do lists.

A new pay-as-you-go pricing option is now available for ChatGPT Enterprise and Business customers, though specific per-token rates were not disclosed.

What this means

OpenAI's update directly addresses Anthropic's recent advantage in the AI coding tools market, where Claude Code has gained traction among businesses according to recent TechCrunch reporting. The feature parity suggests the competitive pressure is pushing both companies to expand beyond basic code completion into full desktop automation. The 111-plugin ecosystem indicates OpenAI is positioning Codex as a workflow automation tool rather than purely a coding assistant, potentially opening new enterprise use cases beyond software development.