OpenAI to Buy Ona for Codex, Plans AI Price Cuts
OpenAI will acquire cloud-environment startup Ona to enable Codex to execute longer-running coding tasks, boosting its enterprise AI offering. The company plans steep usage-price cuts after clients burned through their entire 2026 AI token budgets, while SpaceX was labeled an Iranian military target and Bezos unveiled Prometheus.
1. Acquisition of Ona Expands Codex Capabilities
OpenAI announced it will purchase cloud-environment specialist Ona, integrating its technology to allow Codex to manage multi-hour coding jobs and complex workflows. This move aims to strengthen OpenAI’s appeal to enterprise clients by supporting sustained AI-driven development tasks.
2. Price Cuts Target Token Budget Overruns
Following widespread “tokenmaxxing,” where firms tracked AI usage as a productivity metric, OpenAI plans significant reductions in Codex pricing. The decision follows reports that companies, including Uber, exhausted their entire 2026 AI token budgets within months, prompting cost-control measures.
3. Sector Updates: SpaceX Targeted, Prometheus Launch
In a related development, Iran added SpaceX’s Starshield program to its list of military targets, underscoring geopolitical risks for AI-linked defense projects. Separately, Jeff Bezos launched Prometheus, aiming to create an “artificial general engineer” capable of designing and manufacturing complex physical products, signaling intensifying competition in AI engineering solutions.
