OpenAI
Persistent background agents combined with full-duplex audio models can direct unstructured physical workflows and compile custom hardware software in real time without conversational interruption.
AI-assisted summary of Cooking with Codex: Ep. 1 — original source. Check the original for full context.
Source published:
Key ideas
- OpenAI introduced 'Dots', always-on persistent background agents designed to handle daily coordination like monitoring emails and organizing workflows in ChatGPT Spaces. (0:00)
- Codex Cloud enables developers to run persistent environments in the cloud that keep tasks executing even after closing their laptop. (0:00)
- The updated Codex CLI features a fullscreen interface, integrated agent management tabs, git worktree forking, and direct terminal voice input. (1:16)
- GPT-Live functions as a frontier full-duplex audio model capable of understanding natural human cadence, conversational pauses, and fillers without interrupting users. (1:16)
- Forward Future developers demonstrated Ultrafast to one-shot code an 8-bit ramen simulation game and deploy it directly onto a ModRetro handheld console. (2:51)
Detailed notes
## Background Published by OpenAI on YouTube on October 19, 2026, this debut episode of *Cooking with Codex* demonstrates how an OpenAI Dot and ChatGPT Spaces can organize and plan a ramen recipe, guided live by a GPT-Live sous chef. The video also covers Codex cloud environments, updated Codex CLI features, an 8-bit ModRetro ramen game build with Forward Future, and a community showcase of standout user projects.
## TL;DR Hosts Danny and Alex navigate the kitchen with the help of DevDay ecosystem tools, utilizing an always-on Dot agent to structure prep in ChatGPT Spaces and a full-duplex GPT-Live voice assistant to direct their ramen cooking. Forward Future guests Matthew and Brian take fresh ginger shots before one-shot coding an 8-bit ramen simulation game with Ultrafast that runs directly on a ModRetro handheld. Fed from the community team steps in to judge viral user-built projects in a physical paddle contest called 'Cooked or Undercooked?' before the group playtests their custom handheld game and sits down to taste their surprisingly delicious real-life ramen.
## Atmosphere & style The episode delivers a breezy, irreverent blend of Saturday-morning variety show energy, tech keynote demos, and unscripted kitchen chaos. Banter between the hosts and their deadpan, sarcastic AI sous chef sets a lighthearted tone that keeps technical deep dives engaging and fun. With ginger shot challenges, nostalgic pixel-art game design, and physical cooking happening in parallel, the broadcast feels playful, inventive, and genuinely collaborative.
## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=0s) OpenAI introduced 'Dots', always-on persistent background agents designed to handle daily coordination like monitoring emails and organizing workflows in ChatGPT Spaces. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=0s) Codex Cloud enables developers to run persistent environments in the cloud that keep tasks executing even after closing their laptop. - [01:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=76s) The updated Codex CLI features a fullscreen interface, integrated agent management tabs, git worktree forking, and direct terminal voice input. - [01:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=76s) GPT-Live functions as a frontier full-duplex audio model capable of understanding natural human cadence, conversational pauses, and fillers without interrupting users. - [02:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=171s) Forward Future developers demonstrated Ultrafast to one-shot code an 8-bit ramen simulation game and deploy it directly onto a ModRetro handheld console.
## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=0s) OpenAI Dots serve as persistent agents that run in the background to handle scheduling, guest check-ins, emails, and workflow planning. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=0s) ChatGPT Spaces provides a dedicated shared canvas where Dot agents can write out structured plans and collaborate side-by-side with humans. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=0s) Codex Cloud allows customizable team development environments to run persistently in the cloud independently of local machine power. - [01:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=76s) The refreshed Codex CLI integrates direct terminal voice input and git worktree forking to split conversations across multiple code trees. - [01:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=76s) GPT-Live provides full-duplex conversational audio assistance, recognizing conversational fillers like 'um' and waiting its turn rather than talking over users. - [01:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=76s) Visual identification enabled the AI sous chef to distinguish kitchen seasonings, verifying unlabeled chili powder instead of paprika. - [02:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=171s) OpenAI Dot demonstrated proactive alerting by surfacing an urgent late-night call sheet notification to Forward Future before filming. - [02:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=171s) Developers paired Ultrafast with ModRetro hardware to rapidly build and deploy an 8-bit kitchen simulation game featuring Dot avatars and cooking mechanics. - [05:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=312s) Community showcase spotlighted a historical cipher breakthrough by Carter Church using Astra to decipher a centuries-old encrypted letter from Napoleon Bonaparte. - [05:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=312s) Community projects also featured a procedural horse-racing engine translating hand-drawn sketches into real-time running speeds and a retro space shooter built with GPT-6.1. - [05:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=312s) Carter Church's Napoleon dispatch project was awarded 'Catch of the Day' among evaluated community releases. - [07:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=451s) The hosts and guests validated that the AI-guided ramen recipe produced an authentic, successful dish alongside the digital game prototype.
## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=0s) Introducing *Cooking with Codex* and the DevDay Ecosystem
Danny and Alex kick off the debut episode of *Cooked* (or *Cooking with Codex*) from OpenAI with an irreverent kitchen joke and a singing intro. Welcoming viewers, Danny announces a packed agenda inspired by recent DevDay releases, including OpenAI Dots, ChatGPT Spaces, and cloud-based developer tools. Alex explains how they planned their dish: he snapped photos of all the raw ingredients in the kitchen and handed them over to his personal Dot agent to construct the recipe and plan execution.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: OpenAI Dot and DevDay Workflow accDescr: Diagram illustrating how ingredients, Dots, Spaces, and Codex Cloud integrate into the cooking workflow. subgraph Inputs["Inputs & Environment"] Ing["Ingredient Photos"] CC["Codex Cloud<br/>(Persistent, Laptop Closed)"] end subgraph Agent["Dot Agent Core"] Dot["Always-on Persistent Dot<br/>(Interference, Emails, Guest Check-in)"] end subgraph Collaboration["Output & Coordination"] Space["ChatGPT Space<br/>(Collaborative Recipe & Steps)"] end Ing --> Dot CC -.-> Dot Dot --> Space ```
The hosts dive deeper into what these tools actually do in practice: - **OpenAI Dots**: Described as an “always on persistent agent,” running in the background to handle daily interference—such as managing guest check-ins, monitoring emails, and organizing the cooking workflow. - **Codex Cloud**: A major launch from DevDay designed to let developers run environments in the cloud that teams can configure and customize, allowing tasks to keep executing even when you close your laptop. - **ChatGPT Spaces**: A shared workspace providing the Dot a dedicated canvas to organize its internal thoughts, lay out detailed steps, and collaborate side-by-side with human users.
Alex highlights the synergy between agent and workspace, stating: “Spaces gives your dot a place to actually write its thoughts and a place for you to collaborate with your dot.”
---
[01:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=76s) Codex CLI Upgrades and Cooking with GPT-Live Sous Chef
Before proceeding, the hosts present an ad spot showcasing the newly refreshed Codex CLI, which now features a fullscreen interface, integrated agent management tabs, git worktree forking to split conversations into separate code trees, and direct terminal voice input. Back in the kitchen, the cooking begins with an AI sous chef driven by GPT-Live. The AI immediately ribs the hosts, labeling them the “chaos twins” and quipping that it is a kitchen where they only “pretend they know where the ginger is.” When Danny objects to the burn, the voice assistant deadpans: “It's nicer than your knife skills, but not by much.”
The AI walks them through the initial ramen prep steps, identifying decanted seasonings via vision—confirming an unlabeled red powder is chili, not paprika. It orders them to simmer eggs for 11 to 12 minutes before transferring them to an ice bath, and to chop two cloves of garlic to warm gently in oil with ginger without any browning. Alex points out the underlying technology: their sous chef runs on GPT-Live, a frontier full-duplex audio model capable of understanding natural human cadence, conversational pauses, and fillers like "um" without rudely interrupting. Demonstrating the behavior, the sous chef responds: “Yeah, I was waiting my turn. Gold star for not talking over you. Okay, back to the stove.”
---
[02:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=171s) Forward Future Joins: The Ginger Shot Challenge and 8-Bit ModRetro Build
Matthew and Brian from Forward Future join the kitchen. Asked about their practical Dot usage since its rollout, Brian recounts how his Dot saved him the night before shooting: while he was already in bed, the agent spotted an urgent email outlining call sheet instructions and surfaced a proactive notification summarizing what they needed to know for filming. Danny and Alex then lay down a community challenge: Brian and Matthew must take “one-shot” liquid shots made from kitchen-pressed fresh ginger, and subsequently one-shot code an 8-bit ramen simulation game using Ultrafast to deploy directly onto a ModRetro handheld console.
```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Ultrafast to ModRetro Game Loop accDescr: Step-by-step game loop generated for the ModRetro 8-bit handheld. Sel["Character Select<br/>(Choose Dot)"] --> Frid["Fridge Phase<br/>(Gather Ingredients)"] Frid --> Pot["Stove Top Phase<br/>(Simmer & Clockwise Stir)"] Pot --> Score["Ramen Evaluation<br/>(Texture & Flavor Score)"] ```
Brian and Matthew take the ginger shots and immediately jump into the build: - The game design incorporates an 8-bit character select screen where the player picks an avatar styled as an OpenAI Dot. - Gameplay mechanics focus on kitchen exploration: moving to the fridge, gathering broth, fresh noodles, chashu, and a soft-boiled egg, and cooking at the stovetop. - The player interacts through dialogue boxes, choosing between a gentle simmer or a rolling boil and stirring clockwise to control broth texture.
While Matthew chops real garlic on the kitchen counter, the team runs the game on an emulator, prompting Brian to reflect on the aesthetic juxtaposition: “This ModRetro and like pixelization presentation, it makes me feel both that I'm in the future and the past.”
---
[05:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=312s) Community Showcase: "Cooked or Undercooked?"
Fed from the OpenAI Developer Community team drops in to replace Danny for a review segment assessing recent user builds shared across X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Instagram. The hosts wield physical paddle cards to judge whether each featured community project is “Cooked” (ready, polished, impressive) or “Undercooked.”
| Project Name / Builder | Description & Highlights | Verdict | |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **Retro Space Shooter** (Cosmin) | A fast-paced arcade retro space shooter programmed using GPT-6.1. Praised for its tight gameplay and authentic retro visual presentation. | **Cooked** | | **Napoleon Decoded Dispatch** (Carter Church) | Built using Astra to decipher a complex historical ciphertext letter from Napoleon Bonaparte that had remained unsolved for hundreds of years. Amassed nearly 5 million views. | **Cooked** | | **Hand-Drawn Horse Racing** | A viral physics-based racing game where players sketch an original horse silhouette on screen; the procedural engine translates the sketch’s specific anatomy into dynamic running speeds. | **Double Cooked** |
Assessing the historical cipher breakthrough, Brian enthusiastically drops his paddle, declaring: “Napoleon could have never predicted this. This is ridiculous. You did great. Cooked.” For the finale, the hosts vote on their personal "Catch of the Day." While Alex roots for the retro shooter and Fed votes for the horse racing project, Carter Church's Napoleon decryptor takes the win.
---
[07:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=451s) Handheld Playtesting and Plating the Ramen
With the compilation finished, Matthew loads the newly generated ROM onto the ModRetro hardware. Navigating his blue Dot sprite across the handheld's LCD screen, he opens the virtual fridge, picks up the eggs, mushrooms, and noodles, brings the stock to a rolling boil, and stirs clockwise. The game evaluates the resulting bowl as having silky broth and tender noodles—surpassing their previous attempt on the emulator.
Smelling the food cooking on the physical stove, Alex and Danny reveal that despite their banter and distractions with DevDay features, an authentic, beautifully assembled bowl of ramen with rich broth, noodles, chashu, and eggs has indeed been prepared. Danny surveys the counter in triumph, declaring: “We actually cooked with this one, boys.”
[08:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=514s) Tasting the Ramen and Wrapping Up
With the cooking wrapped up beside the laptop, the group grabs their chopsticks to finally dig into the finished ramen. The dish earns immediate praise around the table for both its presentation and aroma, prompting one of the hosts to marvel at their culinary success: “I can't believe we cooked that.” When asked for his verdict on the final bowl, Matthew tastes it and laughs, admitting, “It's actually really good.”
As the crew savors the meal, Danny returns to the scene, sparking a quick humorous aside about Freddy's sudden disappearance before they transition into signing off. The hosts give a warm shoutout to their special guests, Matthew and Brian from Forward Future, celebrating an episode spent preparing food, playing retro video games, and building new memories together. The broadcast signs off with gratitude to the viewers before closing out on a playful, melodic outro track about refusing to follow the book: “Always did it my way. Never did it by the book. Let me cook now. Let me cook. Just let me cook.”
- **Tasting Reaction:** Matthew confirmed the freshly prepared ramen turned out surprisingly delicious after all the prep with the AI tools. - **Guest Acknowledgments:** The hosts thanked special guests Matt and Brian from Forward Future for hanging out, gaming, and cooking.
## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs&t=0s) Spaces gives your dot a place to actually write its thoughts and a place for you to collaborate with your dot. — Alex
## Mentioned OpenAI, Codex, Codex CLI, Codex Cloud, OpenAI Dots, ChatGPT Spaces, GPT-Live, Forward Future, Ultrafast, ModRetro, Danny, Alex, Matthew, Brian, Fed, Cosmin, Carter Church, Napoleon Bonaparte, Astra, GPT-6.1
## Video description In this episode of Cooking with Codex, an OpenAI dot helps plan a ramen recipe and organize prep in ChatGPT Space, with GPT-Live guiding the cooking process.
Also covered: Codex cloud environments, which keep tasks running after a laptop is closed, and new Codex CLI features including voice input, agent management, and forking conversations into separate worktrees.
Matthew and Brian from Forward Future join to build an 8-bit ramen game using Ultrafast and play it on a ModRetro.
Plus, a showcase of community projects, from a retro space shooter to a racing game featuring hand-drawn horses.
[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHtmW9ZlIs)