10 articles · Updated · letsdatascience.com · May 22
OpenAI has turned on Computer Use in the Codex desktop app for macOS, letting users send tasks remotely and have Codex operate approved apps even while the Mac is locked and the screen is off.
The feature works through a Computer Use plugin plus macOS Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions, with Codex asking for approval on each new app and offering an "Always allow" whitelist option.
OpenAI has limited the rollout at launch by excluding the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland, and by blocking automation of Terminal apps, Codex itself and system-level admin prompts.
The update pushes Codex beyond coding assistance into desktop automation for QA, bug reproduction and multi-app workflows, while raising familiar security questions around broad OS-level access.
With AI now able to control our desktops, how can we prevent this powerful new 'digital employee' from becoming an insider threat?
As AI begins to automate professional desk jobs, are we on the cusp of the first tech revolution to devalue a college degree?