OpenAI Engineer Leads ChatGPT’s Largest Overhaul to Date
· Maxwell Zeff
Thibault Sottiaux was the guy who helped turn AI coding into one of OpenAI’s fastest growing businesses. Now he’s running a major overhaul of ChatGPT itself.
Thibault Sottiaux was the guy who helped turn AI coding into one of OpenAI’s fastest growing businesses. Now he’s running a major overhaul of ChatGPT itself.
Sottiaux, who previously led the team behind OpenAI’s viral Codex and GitHub Copilot integration, has shifted his focus to the core product. He’s now overseeing a sweeping redesign of ChatGPT, aimed at making the chatbot not just smarter, but more capable of handling complex, multi step tasks. Think long form research, document analysis, and real world problem solving rather than just churning out quick answers.
The move signals a clear strategic pivot. OpenAI wants ChatGPT to evolve from a conversational novelty into a serious productivity tool. Sottiaux told colleagues the goal is to build something that doesn’t just respond, but actually helps users get things done from start to finish. That means fewer one off queries and more sustained, contextual interactions.
It’s a big bet. OpenAI’s coding products have been a cash cow, but consumer chatbots are still struggling to prove they’re worth paying for every month. Sottiaux’s promotion suggests the company is betting that the same approach that made coding tools indispensable can work for everyday users too.
If he pulls it off, ChatGPT might stop feeling like a parlor trick and start feeling like a real assistant. That’s the bet.