OpenAI held its second livestream this week, unveiling a major overhaul of its flagship product. The company merged its Codex coding environment into a new unified ChatGPT desktop app for Mac and Windows, allowing users to switch between Chat, Codex, and a new mode called Work.
The move signals OpenAI's push to consolidate its offerings into a single “super app” and catch up with rival Anthropic on workplace productivity features. The new ChatGPT Work agent is designed to handle tasks like project management and document editing within the chat interface.
Alongside the launch, OpenAI confirmed it is sunsetting ChatGPT Atlas, its browser that performed tasks on behalf of users, less than a year after its October release. The deprecation is targeted for August 9th. In recent months, the company has also shut down the video generation app Sora and paused plans for an “adult mode.”
OpenAI also released GPT-5.6, a model update that aims to compete with Anthropic on price, speed, and productivity. The updated desktop app now includes the new models and the Work agent, with a hosted sites service available for customers.
Critics note that shutting down Atlas so quickly undermines trust in the company’s long-term product roadmap. OpenAI appears to be prioritizing focus over experimentation, a strategy that could either sharpen its competitive edge or stifle innovation.