On Thursday, OpenAI unveiled an open-source command-line tool for artificial intelligence (AI) that can run in a user’s terminal. In essence, Codex CLI is an AI agent that can carry out a variety of coding activities and even run commands on its own in a local system that has been sandboxed. The program can employ numerous OpenAI AI models and does not require any setup. The AI company cautions that the open-source project, which is presently undergoing active development, may not be totally reliable.
OpenAI’s New Open-Source AI Agent Can Code Locally
In a post on its website, the San Francisco-based AI company revealed Codex CLI. The business described it as a “lightweight coding agent” that can read, edit, and execute code on a user’s terminal. The AI agent operates locally and does not need to be connected to the Internet in order to work. Although Windows compatibility is experimental and may require Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), it officially supports macOS and Linux.
OpenAI’s Codex CLI is an interesting project. Today, developers have two options if they want to use AI systems for coding-related tasks. They can either opt for a cloud-based closed AI system, which would require them to upload their code to the cloud and pay for the service. Or, they can opt for an open-source AI model that can be downloaded on their workstation, but it is generally less powerful compared to what companies offer.
A compromise between these two options is provided by Codex CLI. According to OpenAI, programmers do not need to share their repository with the AI company because the AI agent can function locally. This guarantees the developers’ data security. However, the AI agent offers flagship-tier performance and is powered by the company’s robust o4-mini and other reasoning models.
According to the company’s website, “Your source code never leaves your environment unless you choose to share it because the CLI runs locally.” Nonetheless, the model generates outputs based on user prompts, high-level context, and optional differential summaries.
An OpenAI application programming interface (API) key can be used to activate the AI agent; no installation preparation is necessary. The o4-mini AI model is used by Codex CLI by default, although users can choose from a variety of different models. Notably, even though the AI agent can be used locally, it is not free because it needs an API key. There will be fees for the API.
Developers can choose from three different options. Before making changes or running commands, the Suggest mode must obtain permission. It can read files from the user’s repository, suggest edits, and execute shell commands. It can read and write files automatically when in Auto Edit mode, but it will still request permission before executing shell commands.
