Clarify canonical terminology for legacy Codex, Codex models, and the Codex product

Problem

The name Codex currently refers to several materially different things:

1. the original OpenAI Codex model lineage, historically associated with GPT-3 and natural-language-to-code generation;
2. code-optimized model variants such as GPT-5-Codex;
3. OpenAI Codex as the current software-engineering agent/product, including the app, CLI, cloud experience, and integrations.

When a user says only “Codex,” AI assistants and technical comparisons frequently resolve the term incorrectly. Typical failures include comparing the current Codex product against competitors while describing the capabilities or limitations of the legacy model, treating Codex only as a model rather than an agent platform, or mixing product and model version claims in the same analysis.

The ambiguity is amplified because “codex” is also a common generic term in software, games, documentation tools, and popular culture.

Why this matters

This causes incorrect answers about:

• current capabilities and architecture;
• model and product versions;
• pricing and plan availability;
• comparisons with Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Kiro, Cursor, and similar tools;
• whether a statement concerns the model, CLI, desktop app, cloud agent, or the historical system.

This is not merely cosmetic branding confusion: it changes the technical object being evaluated.

Suggested canonical terminology

Please define and use a prominent terminology table across the Codex product pages, model documentation, help center, and metadata exposed to assistants/search engines. For example:

| Term | Intended meaning |
|---|---|
| Legacy OpenAI Codex | The historical GPT-3-descended code model/system |
| GPT-5-Codex (or exact published model ID) | A specific code-optimized model variant |
| OpenAI Codex | The current agent product/platform as a whole |
| Codex app / Codex CLI / Codex cloud | A specific interface or execution environment |

It would also help to add a short disambiguation note such as:

“Codex” without a model identifier refers to the current OpenAI software-engineering agent product. Historical models and code-optimized model variants should be named explicitly.

Additional mitigation

• Add the distinction to official FAQs and comparison pages.
• Use explicit product/model qualifiers in page titles, structured metadata, release notes, and pricing pages.
• Document how assistants should interpret an unqualified reference to “Codex.”
• Avoid wording that treats Codex, GPT-5-Codex, and the historical Codex model as interchangeable.

This would substantially reduce version confusion in AI-generated technical analysis and user conversations.