OpenAI launches ChatGPT Atlas browser and Codex app for macOS

In short: OpenAI has released two new macOS apps, ChatGPT Atlas for browsing with built-in help and the Codex app for AI-assisted coding, and they are not a single merged “superapp.”

What happened

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, a standalone web browser for macOS with ChatGPT built in. It can summarize web pages, answer questions about what you are reading, and help with multi-step tasks using an “agent mode” (like a helper that can follow a short to-do list). Atlas also offers optional “browser memories,” which lets it remember useful details from your browsing so it can help later.

OpenAI also released the Codex app for macOS. This is a desktop tool aimed at software work. It can run multiple AI helpers in parallel (like having a few assistants working on different parts of the same project). It supports Git, which is a common tool developers use to track changes in code, and it can connect to existing sessions from coding tools.

Atlas is available worldwide to all ChatGPT users, including free accounts, although some agent features are listed as a preview for certain paid plans. The Codex app is included with paid ChatGPT plans, with limited free access. OpenAI has said versions for Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux are planned.

A separate report said OpenAI may be working toward a “superapp” that combines ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas. However, there is no confirmed public announcement that these products have been merged, and they currently ship as distinct apps.

Why it matters

For everyday users, Atlas is a new way to get help while browsing, more like an assistant sitting next to you than a separate chat window. For developers, the Codex app is designed to speed up coding and related tasks from one place.

Source: The Verge AI