Thibault Sottiaux, the engineer behind OpenAI's rapid growth in AI-powered coding tools, is now spearheading a major overhaul of ChatGPT. The reorganization marks one of the most significant product shifts since the chatbot's launch. Sottiaux previously led Codex, which became a key revenue driver for the company.
The redesign aims to re-architect how the chatbot delivers responses, moving beyond its current conversational interface. Sources familiar with the matter describe the changes as a fundamental rethinking of user interaction. OpenAI has not disclosed a timeline for the new system's rollout.
Codex, Sottiaux's prior project, evolved into a suite of developer tools that analysts estimate generates hundreds of millions in annual revenue. The coding assistant segment has been one of OpenAI's fastest-growing verticals. Its success gave Sottiaux the mandate to reshape the company's flagship product.
The overhaul could redefine competitive dynamics in the consumer AI space, where rivals like Google and Anthropic have introduced similar updates. Developers and enterprise customers will likely be the first to see changes, with broader consumer access following. OpenAI faces pressure to maintain its market lead while navigating technical and safety challenges.
Internal debates persist over the pace of change, with some researchers cautioning against rapid deployment of fundamentally new architectures. Sottiaux has not publicly commented on the transition timeline.