ChatGPT/App/Desktop/Concept/Chat, Work, and Codex

• Chat, Work, and Codex in the ChatGPT app

  • Overview

    • As of August 2026, OpenAI presents ChatGPT/Chat, ChatGPT/Work, and Codex within one ChatGPT/App/Desktop. Its official overview describes Chat for conversation, Work for finished general-purpose deliverables, and Codex for software development.
    • The name ChatGPT refers to two levels: the overall application and the general-purpose side of the application. This double use is the main source of confusion.
    • text

      ChatGPT desktop app
      ├── ChatGPT
      │   ├── Chat
      │   └── Work
      └── Codex

  • ChatGPT names two levels

    • At the operating-system level, ChatGPT is the name of the application.
    • Inside the application, ChatGPT is also the label for the general-purpose side, opposite Codex. Chat and Work live within this inner ChatGPT side.
    • The phrase ChatGPT desktop app makes the outer meaning clear. General-purpose ChatGPT is a useful description for the inner meaning when the interface label alone would be ambiguous.

  • Three styles of work

    • Chat: hold a conversation

      • ChatGPT/Chat centers the interaction on a sequence of messages.
      • It fits questions, explanations, idea development, comparisons, planning, and other work where the conversation is the main structure.
      • The usual unit of interaction is a conversational turn.

    • Work: delegate general work

      • ChatGPT/Work centers the interaction on a goal and a useful result.
      • It can combine files, research, tools, and connected context into documents, spreadsheets, presentations, analysis, and other deliverables.
      • The usual unit of interaction is a task or work product.

    • Codex: delegate software work

      • Codex applies the goal-oriented style to software development.
      • Its working context includes repositories, source files, terminals, diffs, tests, and code review.
      • The usual unit of interaction is a software change that can be inspected and tested.

  • Application, experience, and model

    • Chat, Work, and Codex describe experiences around AI models. They are separate from the names of the models that power them.
    • text

      Application: ChatGPT desktop app
        Experience: Chat | Work | Codex
          Model: the selected GPT model
            Context and tools: conversation, files, browser, terminal, repositories, and connectors

    • A model can appear in more than one experience. The surrounding instructions, context, tools, permissions, and working environment shape what it can do there.

  • Where the boundaries overlap

    • Work and Codex both accept goals, use tools, and produce artifacts. Their default contexts provide the useful distinction.
    • Work starts from general knowledge work and finished deliverables.
    • Codex starts from software projects and development workflows.
    • Their capabilities can overlap as both experiences gain more tools.

  • Vocabulary

    • ChatGPT desktop app — the overall application containing the different experiences.
    • ChatGPT — either the application as a whole or, within the application's selector, its general-purpose side.
    • ChatGPT Chat or Chat — the conversation-centered experience.
    • ChatGPT Work or Work — the general-purpose, goal-oriented work experience.
    • Codex — OpenAI's software-development agent and coding-oriented experience.
    • OpenAI calls the coding experience Codex. ChatGPT Code has no official product meaning as of August 2026.