OpenAI buys tiny software developer to improve Codex

OpenAI is buying Pierre Computer Company in order to incorporate the San Francisco-based software developer’s Code.Storage infrastructure layer for Git into its Codex AI-powered programming tool.

Pierre Computer, whose employees number just barely in the double digits, has got plenty of clout for its small size. It’s well-known for Code.Storage offering, as well as for its open-source software libraries, Trees and Diffs, which OpenAI already uses in Codex.

OpenAI has experienced some of the limitations of Git itself, and its in-house engineering teams are already working to improve its support for human coders and AI agents working in parallel. Earlier this week the company described how it built a new back end for Git repositories, Pando, to enable concurrent working at scale.

The AI developer has been pushing Codex more aggressively this year: offering it to Mac users and expanding it to Windows. It cited Pierre Computer’s ability to help developers review code as one of the reasons for the acquisition. OpenAI highlighted the Diffs’ Edit mode and the recently released Highlights as components that were particularly helpful to development teams.

Announcing the deal on its news page, OpenAI set out how it would integrate the company into its existing offerings. “With the Pierre team, we wish to set the standard for modern software development: from the first branch an agent creates to that magic moment when code is deployed to the world. We want to make Codex the place where developers and agents take on their most ambitious projects.”

Neither company disclosed details of the acquisition price. OpenAI said that Code.Storage customers will be able to continue using the product until it brings the features into Codex, while Pierre Computer’s open-source projects will remain open, and OpenAI will continue to contribute to them.

This article first appeared on InfoWorld.ComputerworldRead More