OpenAI has officially announced its acquisition of Software Applications, Inc., the innovative company behind an unreleased AI-powered natural language interface for Mac computers known as Sky. This strategic move, disclosed on Thursday, marks a significant step for OpenAI in embedding its advanced artificial intelligence technology deeper into the daily lives of consumers and within businesses operating on the Mac platform.

Sky is designed to operate seamlessly alongside users throughout their day, integrating directly with various applications on the computer to assist with tasks such as writing, planning, and coding. A standout feature of Sky, reminiscent of modern AI browsers, is its ability to interpret content on the user's screen and execute actions within applications. This agentic capability allows for a highly intuitive and proactive AI experience, aiming to transform how users interact with their Mac devices.

Ari Weinstein, co-founder and CEO of Software Applications, expressed his enthusiasm for joining OpenAI, stating, "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." Weinstein and fellow co-founder Conrad Kramer bring a strong pedigree in consumer software, having previously co-founded Workflow, which they sold to Apple and which subsequently evolved into the Shortcuts technology. Both remained at Apple for several years before establishing Software Applications in August 2023. Kim Beverett, Sky’s third co-founder and COO, also possesses extensive experience from nearly a decade at Apple, where she managed products and programs for critical technologies like Safari, WebKit, Privacy, Messages, Mail, Phone, FaceTime, and SharePlay.

The acquisition places OpenAI at the forefront of developing agentic AI systems for the Mac ecosystem, a domain where Apple, despite its own advancements, faces unique challenges. While Apple has been perceived as lagging in certain areas of AI, it is anticipated to introduce an overhauled Siri with enhanced AI capabilities next year. The tech giant has already rolled out features leveraging its "Apple Intelligence" framework, including writing assistants, live translation, image generation, and visual search, all of which are compatible across platforms, including Mac. Furthermore, Apple offers a Foundation Models framework that enables developers to integrate local AI models directly into their applications.

However, the nature of Sky's agentic AI, which observes and interacts with a user's screen to take actions, could introduce complexities for Apple, particularly given its strong emphasis on user privacy. This contrast highlights a potential dilemma for Apple, as agentic AI, though promising, is still in its nascent stages and has been associated with various safety risks, according to recent reviews of AI browsers. Consequently, developing and deploying a comparable Mac AI system that aligns with Apple's stringent privacy standards might require a significant amount of time and careful consideration.

While the specific financial terms of OpenAI's acquisition of Software Applications were not disclosed, it is known that Sky's maker had previously secured $6.5 million in funding from a notable group of investors. This group included 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 process itself was spearheaded by Nick Turley, Head of ChatGPT, and Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, receiving final approval from OpenAI’s board of directors.