AI companions are steadily becoming prevalent in the sector, and OpenAI has recently joined the fray. The organization launched Codex Pets, an optional animated companion incorporated into its AI coding utility.

Like most AI companions, it does not engage in complicated tasks. Nevertheless, Codex Pets acts as a floating overlay that delivers real-time project status updates, removing the necessity to switch between tabs. Users can monitor ongoing threads and determine whether Codex is active, awaiting input, or prepared for review, all without leaving their current task.

Beginning is straightforward. Navigate to Settings, select Appearance, and then choose Pets to pick from the offered options. After activation, the floating overlay can be turned on or off by typing /pet in the composer, employing Wake Pet or Tuck Away Pet in Settings > Appearance, or by pressing Cmd+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows.

This feature boasts eight built-in variations, including a cat and dog, but the custom pet creator is particularly captivating. Users can request Codex to generate their unique companion and share it online. A brief look at the homepage reveals that the community is already engaged. Present creations feature Goku, Patrick Star, Microsoft’s Clippy, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and a goblin.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of Mashable, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging that it violated Ziff Davis copyrights while training and operating its AI systems.