OpenAI Codex Can Now Watch You Do a Task Once and Repeat It Forever
OpenAI made a new tool. It can watch you do a job one time. Then it can do that same job by itself whenever you ask. OpenAI is the company that made ChatGPT. The tool is called Codex. Codex is an AI agent, which means it is software that does tasks for you, like coding and office work. The new feature is called Record & Replay. OpenAI launched it on June 20, 2026.
The idea is simple. You show Codex how to do a job one time. Codex turns your demo into a “skill.” A skill is just a saved set of steps. After that, Codex can do the same job on its own.
How Record & Replay works
First, you do a real task on your screen. While you do it, Codex records you. For example, you might upload a YouTube video. You add its title, its thumbnail (the small picture people click), and its subtitles (the text of the words being spoken).
Codex watches that one demo. Then it turns the recording into a skill it can repeat. Next time, you just ask Codex to run that skill. It does all the steps for you.
This works because of a feature called Computer Use. Computer Use lets the AI control a computer the same way a person does. It clicks and types for you. Computer Use must be turned on, or Record & Replay will not work.
Key facts
| Item | Detail (as reported) |
|---|---|
| Feature name | Record & Replay |
| Release date | June 20, 2026 |
| App version | Codex 26.616 |
| Platform | macOS |
| Needs | Computer Use enabled |
| Account | Paid ChatGPT subscription |
| Not available at launch | EU, UK, Switzerland |
What else is new in version 26.616
The same update added two more helpful features:
- Bulk actions for your Automations history. “Bulk actions” means you can change many saved tasks at the same time, instead of one by one.
- Thread transfer between local and remote hosts. A “thread” is one ongoing chat or task. This lets you move a task from one computer to another computer that is connected, and keep going.
Who can use it
The Codex app is free to download. But you need a paid ChatGPT account to use it. A paid account is a plan you pay money for each month. For now, the feature works only on macOS, which is the software that runs Apple Mac computers.
At launch it is not available in the EU, the UK, or Switzerland. The EU is the European Union, a group of countries in Europe. These places often get AI features later. This is because they have their own rules about new technology.
Why it matters (especially for India and founders)
A founder is a person who starts a company. Many small Indian teams do the same tasks every day. They upload videos, fill forms, and move files. These jobs take time but need little thinking.
A tool that learns a task from one demo could do these boring jobs for you. For a founder with a small team, that saves hours. Those hours can go to real work instead. India is not on the blocked list. So teams in India can try it with a paid account.
It also shows where AI agents are going. You do not have to write code or set up hard rules. You just show the agent what to do. This makes automation easier for normal people. (Automation means letting a machine do a job for you.)
FAQ
What is Record & Replay?
It is a Codex feature. It watches you do a task one time. Then it turns that task into a saved skill the AI can do on its own.
What do I need to use it?
You need Codex version 26.616 on a Mac (macOS). You also need Computer Use turned on. And you need a paid ChatGPT account.
Can people in the EU or UK use it?
Not at launch. The feature was not available in the EU, the UK, or Switzerland when it came out.
Is the Codex app free?
The app is free to download. But you need a paid ChatGPT account for it to work.
Takeaway
OpenAI is making automation very easy. You show Codex once. Then it can do the task again and again. For anyone with lots of repeat work, that saves a lot of time. It also points to a future where you teach AI agents by showing them, not by coding.
Source: The Decoder
