Head of ChatGPT: next six months

OpenAI executive Thibault Sottiaux said in a YouTube interview published on May 22 that the next six months will change how knowledge work gets done, casting the shift as near-term and operational rather than distant. The interview was posted under the title “Head of ChatGPT & Codex: The Next 6 Months Will Change Knowledge Work Forever,” and an MSN mirror identified Sottiaux as OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT and Codex. OpenAI’s own recent materials show why that claim matters inside the company’s product roadmap. On May 21, ChatGPT release notes described new Codex features including “Goal mode,” richer context from “Appshots,” browser improvements and remote locked use on Mac, while OpenAI’s Codex product page says the tool is designed for multi-agent workflows and can handle planning, refactors, reviews and releases. (msn.com) ### Who is the executive making the claim? Thibault “Tibo” Sottiaux is described by OpenAI Forum materials as a member of technical staff who leads Codex, OpenAI’s software engineering agent. A May forum event page said his work focuses on systems that help developers understand codebases, complete engineering tasks and collaborate across the software development lifecycle. (help.openai.com) A May 16, 2025 OpenAI community post for the Codex-in-ChatGPT livestream listed Sottiaux among the presenters alongside Greg Brockman and other OpenAI engineers, tying him directly to the launch of Codex inside ChatGPT. ### What, exactly, was said in the interview? The May 22 interview itself did not surface with a public transcript in the materials reviewed, limiting direct quotation. (forum.openai.com) An MSN summary of the video said Sottiaux “told me that in a few months, people who don't use AI at all will get the same benefits as those who've spent two years figuring it out.” (community.openai.com) That phrasing matters because it frames the next step as easier access and product packaging, not only better raw models. The same MSN summary labeled the video “Every knowledge worker has 6 months before AI takes over,” while the YouTube title used the less absolute phrasing that the next six months will change knowledge work forever. (msn.com) ### What is OpenAI shipping that supports that message? OpenAI launched Codex as a research preview on May 16, 2025, describing it as a cloud-based software engineering agent that can work on many tasks in parallel. The company said Codex can write features, answer questions about a codebase, fix bugs and propose pull requests, with each task running in its own cloud sandbox. (msn.com) OpenAI’s current Codex page says the product is “powered by ChatGPT,” available on macOS and Windows, and built for “real engineering work.” The site says Codex supports multi-agent workflows, background automations, code understanding, prototyping and documentation. OpenAI’s developer documentation also says GPT-5.5 is the recommended model in Codex for “complex coding, computer use, knowledge work, and research workflows.” That language extends Codex beyond software engineering into broader workplace tasks. (openai.com) ### Why does this matter beyond programmers? A May OpenAI Forum event replay described Codex as evolving from a developer tool into a broader AI agent for “knowledge work, personal productivity, and complex multi-step tasks.” The forum summary said the discussion covered reducing information overload, automating repetitive work and coordinating projects across tools and sources. (openai.com) (developers.openai.com) The product changes in May 2026 point in the same direction. ChatGPT release notes said users can now keep Codex running from a mobile app, attach app windows for context and define outcomes and success criteria through Goal mode, features aimed at longer-running work rather than one-off prompts. ### What should readers watch next? (forum.openai.com) May 2026 release notes show OpenAI is still adding Codex features week by week, including mobile access on May 14 and broader workflow updates on May 21. OpenAI’s forum calendar also recently hosted Sottiaux in a session titled “Codex is for Everyone: Why Codex Matters Beyond Code,” where he discussed how the product is evolving. (help.openai.com)