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OpenAI says its models are being used to speed CAD, PCB design, simulation and manufacturing work, with usage up 23-fold since February.
OpenAI said ChatGPT and Codex are helping engineers accelerate work across CAD, PCB design, simulation and other physical-world workflows, according to an article published on its website on Nov. 3, 2026. The company framed the tools as part of its own hardware and infrastructure development as well as broader engineering work.
Evidence and context
In the article, OpenAI said its hardware and infrastructure teams use Codex and ChatGPT to create and revise CAD models, prepare manufacturing drawings, configure simulations and review designs for robotics and compute infrastructure. The company also said model usage by its hardware teams has increased 23-fold since February, measured in tokens. That figure reflects usage, not a demonstrated 23-fold improvement in productivity.
OpenAI described one internal example in which two employees used Astra to design a test device in under a week as a side project, and a contract manufacturer produced a small prototype batch in under a month. The company said manufacturing readiness still required multiple reviews because Astra did not consistently account for production limits, tolerances or assembly requirements.
The article follows an earlier OpenAI post on Nov. 3, 2026, about early experiments in accelerating science with GPT-5. It also comes after OpenAI’s expanded partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing, announced on April 13, 2026, when the company became primary partner for the No. 10 Honda at Long Beach and Washington, D.C. The engineering article did not disclose a next catalyst or timing for further updates.
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