Open AI teams with Work Louder to launch Codex-native keyboard, weeks after CEO of Apps told staff 'not to be distracted by side quests’ | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
Open AI teams with Work Louder to launch Codex-native keyboard, weeks after CEO of Apps told staff 'not to be distracted by side quests’
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Open AI reveals first branded hardware, the Codex Micro, a programmable macro pad built with keyboard maker Work Louder
Codex Micro seems to be based on Work Louder's Creator Micro 2's layout, mapped to Codex coding-agent shortcuts
The move reinforces Open AI's Codex offering as one of its mainstay areas of focus by allowing developers the ability to perform tasks or interact with AI faster
Open AI's first branded piece of hardware is not a long-anticipated consumer device it is building with ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive, but rather a programmable macro pad called the Codex Micro.
The keyboard, which consists entirely of macro keys designed to "supercharge people's Codex usage," according to an Open AI spokesperson at the AI Engineer World's Fair, is reportedly a collaboration between the i Phone creator and the custom macro pad creator Work Louder.
With Open AI's developer-centric account on X indicating that the full launch of its hardware foray is expected on July 15, the AI giant seems to be pulling out all the stops to ensure it becomes a well-received add-on for the developer community.
The as-yet-pending release 'Codex Micro' seems to be inspired by Work Louder's existing Creator Micro 2, a compact macro pad that offers thirteen mechanical keys, a joystick, a rotary encoder, and touch controls, arranged across programmable layers to power users needing faster or more fine-grained control over AI-assisted coding tasks.
The move is understandable for Open AI in terms of both securing a victory with developers and brand recognition, and essentially testing the waters on how it would handle a hardware launch for the company's upcoming AI device for more general-purpose users.
Open AI takes major shot at Claude Code with major workplace updates
Open AI adds remote access to bring Codex to Chat GPT on mobile devices
Open AI's latest acquisition could see big changes on the way for its Codex coding assistant
It can also, to a degree, be seen as Open AI essentially acknowledging that its earlier stance of narrowing its focus to 'nail' its core business might be one the company is willing to make exceptions to, especially when it comes to coding tools or enterprise use-case hardware.
Open AI's CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, reportedly told staff that the company was looking to deprioritize areas outside its core focus to allow it to lead where it mattered.
In 2025, Open AI shipped the Sora video app, the Atlas browser, ecommerce features inside Chat GPT, advertising work, and hardware efforts, a "series of startups" approach that insiders said had produced organizational confusion and constant reshuffling of scarce compute, distracting it from a truly centralized goal.
Hardware, in other words, was explicitly on the list of distractions. A physical keyboard is arguably as clear a violation of that directive as one could possibly design.
Open AI is also reeling from a smaller-than-expected gap from competitor Anthropic and its Claude models in the areas where its GPT models do compete. This can perhaps be attributed to Anthropic's much narrower focus, which caters specifically to coders and enterprise through its Claude Code and Claude Cowork offerings.
'It was awesome to see it work': Open AI deploys GPT-5.5 Codex across Nvidia Blackwell systems – 50x efficiency boost and 35x cost reduction makes AI ‘viable at enterprise scale’
The most interesting thing about Open AI's new chip isn't Nvidia, it's Apple
Open AI is rumored to be building an AI-first smartphone chipset
One can argue that Open AI's move isn't one that distracts it from its core focus, but rather complements it, even as R&D and integration for the most part is something that Work Louder will commit to.
It allows the AI juggernaut gets to test out both the marketability of an Open AI-branded hardware product and appease developers and founders with a low-effort play even as they have increasingly been considering tools from Anthropic and Google as well as other AI solutions providers.
None of Open AI's previous concerns may apply here; the exercise does not consume compute, it caters to a key audience for Open AI, with Codex assisting 5 million weekly users as of June, and it does not meaningfully engage an engineering team as some of its other projects do.
With Open AI and Anthropic slated to IPO soon, both are locked in a race to secure as many active users as possible to justify their valuations, even as they vie to build the most powerful models to cater to various industries, including defense, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and software development, to name a few.
Open AI's move might just be a sign of things to come, as it leverages Chat GPT's massive brand recognition to develop marketable, revenue-generating solutions such as a custom macro keyboard, even as it is loath to spend any of its engineering or compute resources on anything but the most important of its tasks, even as enthusiasts continue to wait for the release its upcoming collaboration with legendary Apple designer, Jony Ive.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
Having built hundreds of gaming PCs and being an avid gamer in his spare time, Rahim tends to have stronger opinions about hardware than most. This is particularly on display when he gets his way with powerful, but minimalistic RGB builds even as Small Form Factor (SFF) PCs come a close second.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1 Windows 11 reinstallations should be easier, thanks to this new feature
2 There's up to 50% off Arrow Video 4K Blu-rays right now — here the 6 discs I'd pick
3 Aoostar's mini PC completely destroys the Steam Machine on raw performance but you will have to add memory and storage
5'These are hard, but necessary decisions' — Xbox pulled funding for Io Interactive's 'Project Fantasy' but the developer will continue working on the game independently
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
