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OpenAI has rolled out a significant update to its ChatGPT app for macOS, introducing direct code editing capabilities within supported development environments. The new feature allows developers working with Xcode, VS Code, and JetBrains to make real-time modifications using ChatGPT.
Additionally, an optional “auto-apply” mode enables the AI to implement changes instantly, eliminating the need for manual confirmation and enhancing workflow efficiency.
Subscribers to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team may access the code editing capability starting Thursday by upgrading their macOS program. OpenAI claims code editing will be available to Enterprise, Edu, and free users next week.
Alexander Embiricos, a member of OpenAI’s product crew focussing on desktop applications, said on X that the ChatGPT app for Windows will enable direct code editing “soon.”
ChatGPT for macOS can now edit code directly in IDEs. Available to Plus, Pro, and Team users. pic.twitter.com/WPB2RMP0tj
— OpenAI Developers (@OpenAIDevs) March 6, 2025
Direct code editing expands on OpenAI’s “work with apps” ChatGPT functionality, which the business introduced in beta in November 2024. “Work with apps” enables the ChatGPT app for macOS to read code from a number of developer-focused coding environments, reducing the need to copy and paste code into ChatGPT.
ChatGPT is now more directly competitive with popular AI coding tools such as Cursor and GitHub Copilot due to its ability to directly edit code. According to reports, OpenAI intends to introduce a specialised product that will assist software engineers in the near future.
AI coding assistants are gaining significant popularity, as the overwhelming majority of respondents in the most recent GitHub poll reported that they have implemented AI tools in some capacity. Jared Friedman, a partner at Y Combinator, recently asserted that 95% of the codebases of a quarter of the W25 startup cohort were generated by AI.
However, AI-powered assistive coding tools are associated with a variety of security, copyright, and reliability risks. Recent survey shows that the majority of developers allocate more time to debugging AI-generated code and security vulnerabilities than to human-written contributions. In contrast, a Google report discovered that AI can expedite code evaluations and enhance documentation; however, this comes at the expense of delivery stability.
Despite these concerns, the growing adoption of AI-driven coding tools suggests that developers are willing to navigate these challenges in pursuit of greater efficiency and automation.
