OpenAI Plans to Combine Its AI Tools in a Desktop ‘Superapp’

OpenAI is working to create a desktop “superapp” consisting of its three tools: ChatGPT, the Codex coding platform and the Atlas browser, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. OpenAI executives said the goal of this new desktop app is to improve the user experience.

The move comes after the Journal reported earlier this week that OpenAI applications CEO Fidji Simo told employees the company wanted to focus on its core business rather than side projects.

In a memo to staff reported by the Journal on Thursday, Simo, who is leading development of the new app, said the company was spreading its “efforts across too many apps and stacks, and we needed to simplify our efforts.”

ChatGPT is OpenAI’s signature chatbot, Codex is a coding platform designed for software developers, and Atlas is the company’s first AI browser, which acts like a traditional internet browser, but with ChatGPT as an assistant.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, parent company of CNET, filed a lawsuit in 2025 against OpenAI, alleging that it violated Ziff Davis’ copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.)

By creating a unique application, OpenAI hopes to better compete with competitors like Anthropic. Responding to the Journal’s report in an article on X, Simo said the move was intended to build on the recent success of Codex, a competitor to Anthropic’s Claude Code.

“Businesses go through phases of exploration and phases of refocusing; both are essential,” Simo said. “But when new bets start to work, like we’re seeing now with Codex, it’s very important to double down and avoid distractions. I’m really happy that we’re taking advantage of this moment.”

A representative for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gartner analyst Arun Chandrasekaran told CNET that the biggest benefit of this unified approach is that the experience becomes more personalized. “Now the AI ​​learns your coding style from Codex and your research interests from Atlas, making its ChatGPT suggestions hyper-personalized,” Chandrasekaran said.

Earlier this week, OpenAI announced its new GPT-5.4 mini and nano versions, smaller and faster than its ChatGPT 5.4 model. These coding models also highlight the company’s focus on supporting coders and businesses instead of jumping into various projects.