Sam Altman Says His Own AI 'Codex' Made Him Feel 'A Little Useless', And Developers Relate

Sam Altman’s honest reaction to Codex has sparked debate, as developers echo his feeling that AI tools are becoming so good they challenge human confidence and creativity.

Codex is designed to support a style of development often called “vibe coding.”

Source : Twitter

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Sam Altman felt 'useless' after OpenAI's Codex surpassed his ideas.
• Developers relate to AI tools making them feel redundant.
• Codex enables 'vibe coding' with parallel AI agents.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently shared a very honest reaction after using his company’s new Codex app for Mac. What began as excitement slowly turned into self-doubt. While building an app with Codex felt smooth and fun, Altman admitted that some of the AI’s suggestions were better than his own ideas. 

That moment made him feel “a little useless,” a feeling many developers quietly relate to as AI tools grow smarter and more independent.

Sam Altman's Codex Reaction Sparks Debate Among Developers

Just one day after Codex launched as a standalone Mac app, Sam Altman shared his experience on X. He explained that he used Codex to build an app from scratch and genuinely enjoyed the process. The tool helped him move fast and removed many technical hurdles.

I am very excited about AI, but to go off-script for a minute:

I built an app with Codex last week. It was very fun. Then I started asking it for ideas for new features and at least a couple of them were better than I was thinking of.

I felt a little useless and it was sad.

— Sam Altman (@sama) February 2, 2026

However, things changed when he asked Codex how the app could be improved. A few of the suggestions surprised him. 

They were ideas he hadn’t thought of himself. That’s when the emotional shift happened. Altman openly wrote that he felt “a little useless” and that the feeling was sad.

This statement quickly caught attention across the tech community. It’s rare to see a top AI leader speak so openly about insecurity caused by their own product. 

Many developers responded by saying they’ve felt the same way while using AI tools for coding, writing, or design. The moment highlighted a growing question in tech: if AI keeps getting better, where does that leave humans?

OpenAI Codex App Shows How Fast AI Coding Tools Are Evolving

Codex is designed to support a style of development often called “vibe coding.” Instead of focusing on complex syntax, users focus on ideas while AI handles much of the coding work. One major feature is the ability to run multiple AI agents at the same time, each working on different tasks in parallel.

OpenAI calls Codex a command centre for developers. Users can review changes, manage long tasks, and stay organised without losing context. These agents can write, edit, and refine code, and even handle image-related tasks using built-in tools.

According to OpenAI, more than one million developers used Codex in the past month. The competition is heating up, too, with companies like Anthropic and Cursor offering similar AI coding products.

Inside OpenAI, Codex is already a favourite. Altman said it is the “most loved internal product” and that teams rely on it heavily. While AI is clearly advancing fast, Altman believes everyday life may not change overnight. Still, moments like this show how deeply AI is already reshaping how people think about their own skills and value.

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