OpenAI is acquiring Astral to improve Codex
OpenAI just announced it's acquiring Astral, the team behind popular open-source Python tools.
The goal? To make Codex, OpenAI's AI agent that helps with coding and bug fixes, even smarter and more useful for developers, from planning changes to maintaining code.
Astral will keep supporting its open-source projects
The Astral crew will join forces with the Codex team, but keep supporting their open-source projects.
As Codex lead Thibault Sottiaux put it, Astral's tools already help millions of Python developers improve their workflow.
Astral CEO Charlie Marsh also reassured everyone they're sticking with open source.
Better AI tools for Python developers
This move means better, faster AI tools for many Python developers, making daily tasks smoother and boosting productivity.
Announced on March 19, 2026, it's a step toward broader adoption of smart coding assistants among developers.