OpenAI Sounds Red Alert Again! Three-in-One Plan: ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas Build a Super Application

OpenAI plans to merge ChatGPT, the coding platform Codex, and the browser Atlas into a single desktop “super app” to counter the rapid rise of Anthropic in the enterprise and developer markets. Fidji Simo, head of the application division, openly stated that last year’s scattered product strategy “is slowing us down.”

(Background: OpenAI reportedly aims for an IPO by the end of this year with a valuation in the trillions of dollars, as ChatGPT races to secure more enterprise clients.)

(Additional context: How bad are the midterm elections in the U.S. for the crypto industry?)

OpenAI is once again in a “red alert” state. According to The Wall Street Journal, Fidji Simo described the company’s current situation as a “code red” during an all-hands meeting. The rapid expansion of Anthropic in enterprise and developer markets has put unprecedented pressure on OpenAI’s leadership.

In an internal memo, Simo directly identified the core issue:

“We realize that our efforts are too spread out across too many applications and tech stacks, and we need to simplify. This dispersion is slowing us down and making it harder to meet our quality standards.”

The All-in-One Super App: Combining ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas

OpenAI plans to integrate its three core products into a desktop “super app”: the conversational interface ChatGPT, the coding platform Codex, and the browser codenamed “Atlas.” Simo will lead this product unification, with OpenAI President Greg Brockman assisting her in overseeing this major overhaul.

The WSJ reports that the integration roadmap will be phased: in the coming months, Codex will first incorporate “agent-type AI” capabilities beyond pure coding, followed by the merging of ChatGPT and Atlas into the super app.

However, it’s worth noting that the mobile version of ChatGPT will remain separate and unchanged.

Lessons from Last Year: Dispersed Strategy Allowed Anthropic to Gain Ground

The WSJ notes that this strategic shift is driven by the failure of last year’s approach, which involved launching numerous standalone products that failed to resonate. Senior executives, including CEO Sam Altman, Chief Research Officer Mark Chen, and Simo, have re-evaluated OpenAI’s overall product portfolio.

Meanwhile, Anthropic’s breakthrough products Claude Code and Cowork in enterprise and developer markets have prompted OpenAI to refocus on the enterprise sector. Simo told employees during the all-hands meeting that, in light of Anthropic’s rapid success, the company can no longer afford to be distracted by “side missions.”