OpenAI has published a new report, "The Next Era of Knowledge Work," that examines how its AI tool Codex is being used[1]. The report argues that Codex is no longer just a coding tool: people across a wide range of professions are starting to use it to automate routine tasks and clear the bottlenecks of modern work[1]. At the heart of the findings is the fact that Codex now has more than 5 million weekly active users, with adoption among non-developers growing especially fast.
From a Coding Tool to a Knowledge-Work Tool
Codex has long been widely used as a tool for software developers to write code. OpenAI's new report shows that this positioning is shifting[1]. Regardless of profession, many people are now using Codex to automate routine work, move faster, and remove the friction that comes with modern knowledge work[1].
OpenAI frames this trend as a sign that "a broader shift is underway"[1]. As the range of tasks that can be handed off to AI widens, Codex's use has expanded well beyond the development floor.
5 Million Weekly Users, with Knowledge Workers Growing Fastest
Codex now has more than 5 million weekly active users, up more than 6x since the desktop app launched in February[1]. Developers remain the largest user group, but knowledge workers now account for about 20 percent of users, and they are growing more than three times as fast as developers[1].
These numbers show that the user base of a tool that began as a developer product is steadily expanding to professions outside engineering.
What Knowledge Workers Use Codex For
According to the report, knowledge workers primarily use Codex to create deliverables such as reports, spreadsheets, presentations, and contracts[1]. Beyond that, usage is spreading to research, data analysis, workflow automation, and the building of lightweight tools that previously would have required engineering support[1].
The fastest-growing uses among knowledge workers are three in particular: data analysis, research, and the creation of knowledge artifacts[1]. In addition, more users are running multiple Codex tasks in parallel, letting them investigate data, draft materials, and automate workflows all at once[1].
The Impact on How We Work
OpenAI suggests that this increase in velocity could reshape AI's long-term impact on work[1]. If Codex broadens the scope of what a single person can accomplish, it could enable more ambitious projects, expand the scope of people's roles, and potentially accelerate career advancement[1].
What is common across industries, the report says, is that Codex reduces the friction inherent in modern work[1]. Finding information buried across multiple systems, coordinating work that spans tools and teams, producing high-quality deliverables, and moving projects through review and approval are all places where Codex is being put to use[1].
Summary
With the headline figure of more than 5 million weekly users, OpenAI's report illustrates how Codex is changing from a coding-only tool into a productivity tool used across many professions. Knowledge workers in particular are growing quickly, and uses such as document creation, data analysis, and workflow automation are spreading. It is a report that tries to answer the question of "what AI is actually useful for at work" using data on how the tool is really being used.
