On Google Cloud? You can now request preview access to OpenAI models and point Codex at Google Cloud inference

#What changed

On Oct 21, 2026, OpenAI and Google Cloud announced that OpenAI's frontier models and Codex agentic workflows are coming to Google Cloud's Model Garden. Google Cloud says GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol, and GPT-6 Luna are rolling out in private preview to select enterprise customers, and that preview customers can connect their local Codex CLI and Codex desktop app to Google Cloud for inference. Purchases go through Google Cloud Marketplace, show up on the Google Cloud invoice, and can draw down existing Google Cloud spend commitments. OpenAI says models will also come to Google Antigravity and Gemini Agent "soon".

#Who is affected

Teams whose company already buys cloud through Google Cloud, especially in regulated industries that need prompts and outputs to stay inside Google Cloud's access controls and audit logging. Individual ChatGPT Plus or Pro users and teams already using the OpenAI API directly don't need to change anything.

#What to do now

1. If your org is on Google Cloud, ask your admin to fill in OpenAI's preview request form (https://openai.com/form/openai-on-google-cloud/). The preview is invite-only.
2. Check with finance whether your Google Cloud commitment can absorb Codex and model usage before you buy a separate OpenAI contract.
3. Once you're in, try Codex CLI or the desktop app against Google Cloud inference on one repo first, and compare speed and cost with your current setup before switching the team.

#What is not confirmed

General availability has no firm date beyond "the coming weeks". Pricing on Google Cloud, which regions get it, and when zero-data-retention and Confidential Compute options arrive ("coming soon" per Google) were not announced. The exact Codex setup steps for Google Cloud inference aren't public yet. Microsoft remains OpenAI's primary cloud partner.