OpenAI announced its acquisition of Software Applications, Inc., the creator of an AI-powered natural language interface for Mac computers named Sky, on Thursday, expanding its technological reach into daily consumer and business operations.
“We’ve always wanted computers to be more empowering, customizable, and intuitive. With LLMs, we can finally put the pieces together. That’s why we built Sky, an AI experience that floats over your desktop to help you think and create. We’re thrilled to join OpenAI to bring that vision to hundreds of millions of people,” said Ari Weinstein, co-founder and CEO of Software Applications, in a statement. The software, which had not yet been publicly released, is designed to operate alongside a user, viewing the screen and executing actions within applications for tasks like writing, planning, and coding.
The team behind Sky has a history of successful ventures. Weinstein and co-founder Conrad Kramer previously established Workflow, a company they sold to Apple, where its technology became the basis for the Shortcuts feature. Both founders worked at Apple for several years before founding Software Applications in August 2023. The third co-founder and COO, Kim Beverett, is also an Apple veteran, having spent nearly a decade as a senior program and product manager working on Safari, WebKit, Privacy, Messages, Mail, Phone, FaceTime, and SharePlay.
The acquisition occurs as Apple advances its own artificial intelligence initiatives. The company is expected to release an updated Siri with enhanced AI capabilities next year and has already deployed features under its “Apple Intelligence” brand, including writing assistance, live translation, image generation, and visual search. Apple is also collaborating with OpenAI to route certain Siri queries that it cannot handle to ChatGPT. Apple Intelligence is designed to work across its platforms, including Mac.
Apple provides developers with a Foundation Models framework for integrating local AI models into their applications. The company has also emphasized privacy in its AI offerings. An agentic system like Sky, which can view a user’s screen and take actions, may present concerns for security-focused customers. Agentic AI is an emerging technology, and recent reviews of similar AI browsers have pointed to safety risks. This could mean Apple will require more time to develop a native Mac AI system comparable to Sky.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to Pitchbook data, Software Applications, Inc. had previously raised $6.5 million from investors including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Figma CEO Dylan Field, Context Ventures, and Stellation Capital. OpenAI confirmed that Altman held a passive interest in the startup through an investment fund.
The acquisition was led by Nick Turley, Head of ChatGPT, and Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications. The deal received approval from OpenAI’s board of directors.
