Microsoft Corp MSFT partner OpenAI is merging ChatGPT, its Codex coding platform, and the Atlas browser into a single desktop “superapp,”. The move comes as executives internally describe the company as operating under a “code red.

OpenAI has acquired Astral, a startup whose essential Python development tools are used by millions. This strategic move aims to bolster OpenAI's Codex group, which faces competition from Anthropic's Claude Code.

Anthropic, a smaller rival started by OpenAI defectors, has found runaway success with its programming agent, Claude Code. The product accounts for nearly a fifth of its business—more than $2.5 billion in annualized revenue,

OpenAI acquires Astral, the Python toolmaker, to enhance Codex AI coding assistant as it competes with Anthropic's Claude Code and Cursor.

Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, told employees in an all-hands meeting that the company has tried to do too much all at once. The AI behemoth, best known for its core chatbot ChatGPT, has launched multiple products in the past year like cash burning video generation app Sora (which has reportedly seen usage plummet in early 2026) and a new AI-powered web browser.

OpenAI said on Thursday it will acquire Astral, as the ChatGPT maker doubles down on artificial intelligence-powered coding tools to compete more aggressively with rivals such as

The desktop superapp will be designed to enable more agentic AI features, where systems can autonomously perform complex tasks directly on users' computers.

With zero coding skills, and in a disturbingly short time, I was able to assemble camera feeds from around the world into a single view. Here's how I did it, and why it's both promising and terrifying for all of us.