OpenAI are quietly adopting skills, now available in ChatGPT and Codex CLI (simonwillison.net)

OpenAI has begun adopting a new "skills" feature, which is now integrated into both ChatGPT and the Codex CLI tool. This mechanism, initially popularized by Anthropic, allows users to create and utilize "skills," defined as simple folders containing Markdown files along with optional resources and scripts. In ChatGPT, a new skills folder enables users to interact with various document types by converting them into per-page PNGs for enhanced processing by vision-enabled GPT models, ensuring that important layout and graphic information is retained. This update significantly expands the capabilities of ChatGPT, allowing it to more effectively handle complex requests, such as generating PDF summaries that require careful attention to layout. On the Codex side, users can leverage skills by placing folders in the designated skills directory and activating them with a command-line option. This functionality opens up new possibilities for developers, such as creating custom plugins or tools for interactive applications. With both platforms embracing this flexible and low-barrier implementation of skills, OpenAI's quick move signals a significant evolution in how AI can handle varied computational tasks, pushing the boundaries of usability in AI/ML applications and fostering a more expansive development ecosystem. This initial implementation sets the stage for future enhancements, potentially guided by collaborative documentation efforts within the AI community.