OpenAI is working toward creating a desktop “superapp” that will consist of its three tools: ChatGPT, the coding platform Codex and the Atlas browser, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI executives said the goal behind this new desktop app is to improve the user experience.
The move comes after the Journal reported earlier this week that OpenAI CEO of applications Fidji Simo told employees the company wanted to focus on its core business instead of side projects.
In a Thursday memo to staff reported by the Journal, Simo, who leads development of the new app, said the company was spreading its “efforts across too many apps and stacks, and that we need to simplify our efforts.”
ChatGPT is the signature chatbot from OpenAI, Codex is a coding platform designed for software developers, and Atlas is the AI-first browser from the company, which acts like a traditional internet browser, but with ChatGPT as an assistant.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, parent company of CNET, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
By creating a single app, OpenAI hopes to better compete with rivals like Anthropic. Responding to the Journal report in a post on X, Simo said the move is intended to build on the recent success of Codex, a competitor to Anthropic’s Claude Code.
“Companies go through phases of exploration and phases of refocus; both are critical,” Simo said. “But when new bets start to work, like we’re seeing now with Codex, it’s very important to double down on them and avoid distractions. Really glad we’re seizing this moment.”
A representative for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this week, OpenAI announced its new GPT-5.4 mini and nano, smaller and faster versions of its ChatGPT 5.4 model. These coding models also highlight the company’s focus on supporting coders and enterprises instead of dabbling in various projects.
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