OpenAI merges ChatGPT and Codex: Brockman leads product strategy

What changed at OpenAI: Brockman returns to the center

In mid-May 2026, as reported by TechCrunch, Greg Brockman took direct responsibility for OpenAI's product strategy. The co-founder had been absent from day-to-day operations for an extended period. His return to a central executive role is therefore a strong signal about internal governance.

At the same time, even bigger news for the market is emerging. OpenAI is reportedly planning to merge ChatGPT with Codex, its product dedicated to code generation. Two products that have so far been separate, with different users, pricing and APIs, could converge into a single integrated surface.

This move isn't happening in isolation. It comes amid intense competition with Google, Anthropic and Microsoft Copilot. All the major players are consolidating their AI offerings into unified platforms. With this reorganization, OpenAI seems to want to speed up in the same direction.

The ChatGPT-Codex merger: anatomy of a shift

Codex is the engine behind GitHub Copilot and many assisted development tools. ChatGPT, meanwhile, is the world's most widely used conversational platform, with over 300 million weekly users. Combining the two means creating an environment where natural language and code generation coexist seamlessly.

However, the merger raises non-trivial technical questions. Codex APIs are structured differently from ChatGPT's. The underlying models have also been optimized for different tasks. As a result, integration will require significant harmonization work, both at the model level and in the user interface.

For companies running OpenAI APIs in production today, this scenario raises concrete questions. They concern the stability of existing endpoints, version management and the continuity of enterprise contracts. At SHM Studio, we're already collecting these questions from the clients we work with on AI integration projects.

Immediate impact on the Italian enterprise ecosystem

For Italian SMEs that have adopted OpenAI-based tools, the change has direct operational implications. First, check whether your workflows depend on specific Codex endpoints. Then, keep an eye on OpenAI's official roadmap for deprecation updates.

Beyond that, Brockman's move to lead product strategy suggests a more coherent product vision. Historically, OpenAI has suffered from a certain fragmentation between research and commercial development. A centralized product leadership, by contrast, could speed up feature releases and make the roadmap more predictable.

According to Gartner, by 2027 more than 70% of enterprise applications will embed generative AI capabilities. Choosing your core AI platform is therefore a strategic decision, not just a technical one. The ChatGPT-Codex merger could make that choice easier for many organizations by reducing the number of vendors to manage.

What the official press releases don't tell you

The news was delivered in a neutral tone, but some implications deserve a more critical look. First, merging two products with different user bases risks cannibalization. Developers who use Codex today may not like a more generalist interface. Likewise, ChatGPT business users could be exposed to technical complexity they don't need.

Brockman's return also comes as OpenAI moves toward a for-profit structure. Product strategy decisions are increasingly shaped by monetization logic. In this context, the merger may also be a way to simplify the portfolio and attract institutional investors.

Finally, it's worth noting that Harvard Business Review has repeatedly pointed out that product mergers in tech often disrupt existing users before delivering concrete benefits. SMEs would do well not to assume the transition will be painless.

What to do now: guidance for SMEs

The most sensible operational response at this stage is to review your current tech stack. If you use OpenAI-based AI solutions, you should map your specific dependencies on Codex or the ChatGPT API. This exercise is useful regardless of how the merger turns out.

We therefore suggest three concrete actions right now. First, check OpenAI's official documentation for any announcements on deprecations or migrations. Second, assess whether complementary alternatives exist, such as Anthropic's Claude models or Google's Gemini, to run alongside your main platform. Third, update your supply contracts to include service continuity clauses.

On the digital strategy front, now is also the right time to review how you communicate AI to your customers. Companies that built marketing messages around specific tools may need to update their content. Here, strategic copywriting can help keep your brand consistent through a technology transition.

Outlook: where OpenAI is heading over the next 18 months

OpenAI's trajectory for 2026-2027 seems to point toward a unified platform that covers both knowledge work and technical work. This positioning competes directly with Microsoft Copilot and the Google Workspace AI ecosystem. The battle for the enterprise market is shifting from model quality to depth of integration.

For Italian SMEs, this scenario brings opportunities but also lock-in risks. Relying on a single AI ecosystem simplifies management but weakens your negotiating flexibility. A multi-vendor strategy, even a partial one, therefore remains advisable for organizations with critical business continuity needs.

At SHM Studio, we follow these scenarios as part of our AI consulting and digital marketing services. If you'd like to talk about how to position your company in light of these changes, reach out through our contact page. On our blog, we also publish regular updates on AI, SEO and digital strategy for the Italian B2B market.

In short, OpenAI's move isn't just product news. It's an indicator of where the entire enterprise AI market is heading. SMEs that read these signals early will be better placed to turn them into real advantage.