Inside OpenAI’s agentic software factory

Gergely Orosz visited OpenAI and found Codex has become the backbone of the company. Non-engineering teams like finance, legal, and recruiting went from near-zero Codex usage to 90% in four months, without a top-down mandate. IDE and pull request usage dropped noticeably since January as colleagues shifted to letting agents do the work. OpenAI also built a 'software factory' with automated loops—Perf Factory monitors production and dispatches Codex agents to fix performance issues automatically. The internal Codex is far more advanced than the public version because it's wired into nearly every OpenAI system.

Why it matters: Gergely Orosz's deep-dive carries source authority with first-hand internal data on Codex adoption and engineering behavior shifts at OpenAI. Hits all three HKR axes, making it a must-read today. Score capped slightly because the full piece is behind a paywall and key mechanis...