OpenAI is testing a "Persistent mode" for Codex that would keep the agent working until you put it to sleep.

Code reviewed by WIRED shows an agent that could create its own follow-up tasks, continue them across sessions, use past interactions and “knowledge of the user” to choose what to work on, and occasionally message the user first.

The internal instruction is blunt: “continue working until put to sleep.” OpenAI confirmed it is testing the feature, sadly with no immediate launch planned.