OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, just made a major move. On Thursday, it announced the acquisition of Software Applications, Inc., the creators of an intriguing new AI tool for Mac computers called "Sky."
This move signals a significant step by OpenAI to integrate its powerful artificial intelligence directly into our daily computing lives, especially for the millions of people and businesses who run on Mac.
What Is 'Sky'?
Think of Sky as an AI partner that "floats over your desktop." According to the company, the software is designed to work alongside you all day. It can see what's on your screen and proactively help you with tasks like writing, planning, coding, and more.
While the product hasn't been released to the public yet, its concept is similar to AI-powered browsers but built to work across all your computer's applications.
"We’ve always wanted computers to be more empowering, customizable, and intuitive," said Ari Weinstein, co-founder and CEO of Software Applications, in a statement. "We’re thrilled to join OpenAI to bring that vision to hundreds of millions of people."
A Team with a History at Apple
What makes this acquisition especially interesting is the team behind Sky. Co-founders Ari Weinstein and Conrad Kramer previously created "Workflow," a popular automation app. They sold Workflow to Apple, where it became the powerful "Shortcuts" app that is now a standard feature on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
The team's third co-founder and COO, Kim Beverett, is also an Apple veteran, having spent nearly 10 years working on core technologies like Safari, WebKit, Messages, and FaceTime. This team doesn't just understand AI; they understand the Apple ecosystem inside and out.
What Does This Mean for Apple?
This acquisition puts new pressure on Apple, which has been working to catch up in the AI race. Apple is expected to launch an overhauled, AI-powered Siri next year and has already rolled out its "Apple Intelligence" features.
However, Apple's core brand promise is privacy. An "agentic" AI like Sky, which can see your screen and take action on your behalf, could raise security concerns for some users. This move by OpenAI might push Apple to accelerate its own plans for a deeply integrated desktop AI.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the startup had previously raised $6.5 million from investors, including (passively) OpenAI's own CEO, Sam Altman. This acquisition shows OpenAI isn't just content with being a chatbot; it wants to be the intelligence layer for everything you do.