{"id":1915823,"date":"2026-05-03T16:38:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T13:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1915823"},"modified":"2026-05-03T16:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T13:38:18","slug":"openai-adds-ai-pets-to-its-codex-coding-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1915823","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI adds AI pets to its Codex coding tool"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/articles\/03Q0CtqHj439sidbm6rtcIa\/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1777825738.jpg”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Home<\/a>><\/span>Tech<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

OpenAI adds AI pets to its Codex coding tool<\/h1>\n
The animated companion tracks your work in the background.<\/div>\n
\n
\n \u00a0By\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chance Townsend<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Headshot<\/p>\n
\n
Chance Townsend<\/div>\n
Editor, General Assignments<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones<\/em>.\n <\/div>\n

Read Full Bio<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0on\u00a0

Share on Facebook<\/span><\/a>Share on Twitter<\/span><\/a>Share on Flipboard<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Photograph<\/p>\n
Credit: Photographed by Joseph Maldonado \/ Mashable Composite by Rene Ramos<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

AI companions<\/a> are quietly becoming a staple across the industry, and OpenAI is now joining the trend. The company has launched Codex Pets, an optional animated companion baked into its AI coding tool.<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO:<\/span>Everything you need to know about Elon Musk’s OpenAI testimony<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

Like most AI companions, it isn’t doing any heavy lifting. But Codex Pets earns its keep as a floating overlay that surfaces project status updates in real-time, so you don’t have to switch tabs. Users can monitor active threads and track whether Codex is running, waiting on input, or ready for review, all without ever leaving whatever they’re working on.<\/p>\n

Getting started is straightforward. Head to Settings, select Appearance, then choose Pets to pick from the built-in options. Once activated, the floating overlay can be toggled on or off by typing \/pet in the composer, using Wake Pet or Tuck Away Pet in Settings > Appearance, or by pressing Cmd+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows.<\/p>\n

\n
Mashable Light Speed<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?<\/div>\n
Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Light Speed newsletter.<\/div>\n
\n By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Thanks for signing up!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
\n
\n
You May Also Like<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

The feature ships with eight built-in variations \u2014 including a cat and dog \u2014 but the more interesting play is the custom pet creator. Users can prompt Codex directly to generate their own companion, then share it online. A quick scroll through the homepage<\/a> reveals the community has already gotten to work. Current creations include Goku, Patrick Star, Microsoft’s long-retired Clippy, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and \u2014 naturally \u2014 a goblin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
Related Stories<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n