OpenAI's Codex Micro Lets Developers Code by Voice
The 13-key device delegates coding tasks to AI, with buttons to accept suggestions and a dial to set reasoning depth.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman gifted a 13-key device called the Codex Micro to Samsung's executive team on October 31, 2026. The Codex Micro is an auxiliary device for instructing coding AI by voice, with buttons to accept or reject AI suggestions and a dial to adjust the level of AI reasoning; this is a shipped product as described in the source, though the source does not specify general availability.
Why it matters
The device reflects a shift in how developers may interact with coding AI, moving from typing code directly to delegating tasks to AI and reviewing its output. Its appearance as a gift to a major hardware company's leadership signals that AI vendors are experimenting with purpose-built input hardware beyond the keyboard.
The Codex Micro has 13 keys and is designed as an auxiliary input device rather than a replacement keyboard. The source does not provide benchmark performance figures for the device or its AI models.
The players
OpenAI
OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research company known for its large language models and its Codex coding AI.
Samsung
Samsung is a South Korean electronics conglomerate with major semiconductor and consumer hardware operations.
Augmental
Augmental is a United States startup developing assistive and wearable input hardware, including the MouthPad.
The details
The Codex Micro is built around delegation: instead of directly typing code, the user speaks instructions to a coding AI and then reviews the results. Its buttons accept or reject the AI's suggestions, and a dial adjusts how much reasoning effort the AI applies to a task. The device is positioned as a companion to a keyboard rather than a full replacement for one.
Timeline
October 31, 2026: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman gifts the Codex Micro to Samsung's executive team.
July 2026: Augmental releases the MouthPad, a tongue-operated input device.
The Tech Race
The Codex Micro places OpenAI in a race to define how developers interact with coding AI, alongside existing tools built on AI coding models. Augmental's MouthPad, released in July 2026, reflects a parallel trend of specialized input hardware aimed at users who cannot easily use their hands.
The Codex Micro is not described in the source as generally available, and no price or purchase path is given. Developers who use Codex may eventually be able to pair voice and button input with their existing workflows, but the timeline is unannounced.
The takeaway
The broader trajectory is that AI coding tools are moving toward supervision and delegation, which may require new input hardware. Watch whether the Codex Micro reaches a public release or price announcement, and whether Savi's brain-signal hat is demonstrated at CES 2027 in January.
What happens next
Savi plans to demonstrate a prototype of its brain-signal hat at CES 2027 in January 2027.
Further reading
For more on how AI is changing software development and hardware, see our Artificial Intelligence coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 조선일보.
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