OpenAI Merges ChatGPT and Codex Into New ChatGPT Work Agent

On July 9, OpenAI rolled out a new tool called ChatGPT Work, combining its existing chatbot with the Codex coding agent in a single desktop application. Rather than just answering questions, the system is designed to carry out entire office tasks on its own, from gathering information across company tools to delivering a finished document, spreadsheet, presentation or website.

The tool functions as a full-fledged agent: it takes a general goal, breaks it into smaller steps and works through them over an extended period, rather than generating a single reply at a time. Before taking an action deemed sensitive, such as sending a message to a client or approving a transaction, it asks the user for confirmation.

What ChatGPT Work Can Do

The system connects to the tools companies use every day: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Google Drive, Salesforce, SharePoint, calendars and project management systems. That lets it gather scattered notes, drafts and ideas from various sources on its own and turn them into a finished document ready to send out.

The app also has a built-in browser with a Computer Use feature that lets the agent click through and fill out web forms the way a human would. Separately, OpenAI released ChatGPT Sites in public beta, a feature for building and publishing simple websites directly from the chat interface.

Codex Joins the Chat App

The biggest change from OpenAI's earlier tools is folding Codex, previously a standalone coding agent, into the main ChatGPT interface. In practice, that means someone with no programming experience can ask the agent to handle a task that requires writing code, such as building a simple data analysis tool, without switching between apps.

OpenAI describes this as a step toward a super-app for office workers, where writing, coding, information search and task automation all happen in one place. The company stresses the tool is aimed mainly at employees without technical expertise, not professional developers.

Every company today is thinking hard about spending and the value it's getting back for AI - Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI

The Office Agent Race

The launch fits into a wider trend of agentic office tools, which Anthropic (Claude Cowork) and Microsoft (Copilot Cowork) have also announced in recent months. The debut of Claude Cowork previously triggered sell-offs in software and professional services stocks, as investors worried AI agents would start replacing work previously done by consultants and office assistants.

OpenAI already has more than a million users - Holger Mueller, analyst at Constellation Research

Analysts point out that ChatGPT Work is above all an attempt to win over corporate customers as OpenAI prepares for a stock market listing. The same day the tool launched also saw the announcement that Fidji Simo was stepping down as the company's number two, underscoring just how turbulent a period of change OpenAI is currently going through.

What It Means for Polish Companies

For Polish businesses on paid ChatGPT plans, this means a new tool for automating office work without having to hire additional IT specialists, at least in theory. In practice, integration with tools like SharePoint or Salesforce means the biggest benefits will go to companies that had already invested in those systems.

At the same time, the growing number of competing office agents, from Claude Cowork to Copilot Cowork, means companies will need to compare not just subscription prices but also which tool integrates better with their existing technology stack. That's a decision worth postponing until vendors publish more data on how effective these agents actually are in specific industries.

Sources: SiliconANGLE (siliconangle.com), BNN Bloomberg (bnnbloomberg.ca), TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)