OpenAI Acquires Sky's Creators, Bolstering AI Integration for Mac Users

OpenAI acquires the team that made Apple's Shortcuts

OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Incorporated (SAI), perhaps best known for the core team that produced what became Shortcuts on Apple platforms. More recently, the team has been working on Sky, a context-aware AI interface layer on top of macOS. The financial terms of the acquisition have not been publicly disclosed. "AI progress isn't only about advancing intelligence -- it's about unlocking it through interfaces that understand context, adapt to your intent, and work seamlessly," an OpenAI rep wrote in the company's blog post about the acquisition. The post goes on to specify that OpenAI plans to "bring Sky's deep macOS integration and product craft into ChatGPT, and all members of the team will join OpenAI." That includes SAI co-founders Ari Weinstein (CEO), Conrad Kramer (CTO), and Kim Beverett (Product Lead) -- all of whom worked together for several years at Apple after Apple acquired Weinstein and Kramer's previous company, which produced an automation tool called Workflows, to integrate Shortcuts across Apple's software platforms. The three SAI founders left Apple to work on Sky, which leverages Apple APIs and accessibility features to provide context about what's on screen to a large language model; the LLM takes plain language user commands and executes them across multiple applications. At its best, the tool aimed to be a bit like Shortcuts, but with no setup, generating workflows on the fly based on user prompts. It bears some resemblance to features of Atlas, the ChatGPT-driven web browser that OpenAI launched earlier this week, and this acquisition piles on even more evidence that OpenAI has ambitions beyond a question-and-answer chatbot. OpenAI can use the SAI team's knowledge of the macOS platform to develop new ways for ChatGPT not just to make suggestions about, but to agentically work directly on users' macOS environments. So far, most of OpenAI's native desktop efforts have been on macOS; this may be because its core audience of early adopters includes a large cohort of front-end web and mobile application developers, many of whom use macOS as their primary platform. It's unclear at this point whether development on Sky will continue as originally planned or be adapted into something meaningfully different under the OpenAI umbrella -- but the public statements by both companies about the acquisition suggest this is about more than just a macOS application.

OpenAI buys Sky, an AI interface for Mac

OpenAI announced on Thursday it has acquired Software Applications, Inc., the makers of an AI-powered natural language interface for Mac computers called Sky. The software product, which had not been released to the public, is designed to work alongside you throughout your day, as you use apps on the computer, writing, planning, coding, and more. Similar to AI browsers, Sky can see what's on the your screen and take action in your apps for you. The move is a significant step toward embedding OpenAI's technology into consumers' everyday lives and within businesses that run on Mac. "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," Software Applications co-founder and CEO Ari Weinstein said in a statement. Notably, the team behind Sky had another prominent exit before this. Weinstein and Conrad Kramer previously co-founded Workflow, which they sold to Apple, where it became the technology now known as Shortcuts. Both continued to work at Apple for several years before leaving to found Software Applications in August 2023. Sky's third co-founder and COO, Kim Beverett, was a senior program and product manager at Apple, where she spent nearly 10 years working on technology like Safari, WebKit, Privacy, Messages, Mail, Phone, FaceTime, and SharePlay. Apple, which has so far been behind on AI, is expected to launch an overhauled Siri with AI smarts next year. Apple has already shipped other features that use its AI tech known as Apple Intelligence, including writing helpers, live translation, image creation, visual search, and more. It's also working with OpenAI to shuffle off queries Siri can't answer to ChatGPT. Apple Intelligence works across platforms, including Mac. In addition, Apple offers a Foundation Models framework that provides access to local AI models, allowing developers to build AI into their apps directly. However, Apple values privacy as a core part of its AI offering, and an agentic system that views your screen and takes action on your behalf could raise concerns for some of its more security-minded customers. Agentic AI is still in its early days, and recent reviews indicate that AI browsers have a lot of safety risks. It could take Apple time to launch a Mac AI system comparable to Sky, as a result. Deal terms for OpenAI's acquistion were not revealed, but Sky's maker had raised $6.5 million from investors, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Figma CEO Dylan Field, Context Ventures, and Stellation Capital, according to data from Pitchbook. OpenAI disclosed that Altman held a passive interest in the startup through an investment fund. The deal was led by Head of ChatGPT Nick Turley and OpenAI's CEO of Applications, Fidji Simo, and approved by OpenAI's board.

OpenAI Acquires AI Startup Founded by Former Apple Employees

OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a startup building an AI-powered user interface for Mac desktops, part of a push by the ChatGPT maker to improve how artificial intelligence tools field tasks on a computer. Software Applications was founded in 2023 by a group of former Apple Inc. employees, some of whom helped create the technology behind the iPhone's Shortcuts app, which is designed to speed up common functions on the smartphone. As part of the acquisition, OpenAI plans to integrate the startup's technology into ChatGPT and bring on its entire team of roughly a dozen people. Financial terms were not disclosed. OpenAI, valued at $500 billion in a secondary share sale this month, has moved more aggressively this year to acquire startups. The AI developer agreed to buy product testing company Statsig for $1.1 billion and completed a nearly $6.5 billion purchase of an AI device startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, both of which were all-stock transactions. OpenAI has also made a number of smaller acquisitions. Software Applications previously raised $6.5 million in funding from a group of notable investors, including OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman and Figma Inc. CEO Dylan Field. OpenAI said two other executives, not Altman, led the transaction, and that it was approved by the board's independent transaction and audit committees. Earlier this year, Software Applications announced Sky, an AI assistant designed to help users take actions or answer questions. The feature includes a floating interface over the Mac desktop that understands what's on a user's screen. Sky is not available to the public. Nick Turley, who runs OpenAI's ChatGPT team, said he was "blown away" when Software Applications CEO Ari Weinstein demonstrated Sky for him. The feature, he said, "was able to bring to life" some concepts that OpenAI had already been thinking about. "We want to go way beyond responding to your prompts and move into a world where ChatGPT can actually do stuff for you," Turley said in an interview. "Being able to act on your local applications is a huge part of that."

OpenAI buys AI startup that built interface for Apple computers

All 12 members of the Software Applications team will join OpenAI, according to a spokesperson. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The startup's product called Sky allows users of Mac computers to prompt it with natural language to get help with writing, coding, planning and managing their days, OpenAI said in a blog post. Sky can take actions through apps and understands what's on a user's screen. "Sky's deep integration with the Mac accelerates our vision of bringing AI directly into the tools people use every day," Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, said in a statement. Software Applications was founded in 2023, and the company unveiled Sky in May. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman contributed to the startup's $6.5 million seed funding round, according to its website. OpenAI has been on a dealmaking blitz in recent months. The company bought Statsig, a product development startup, for $1.1 billion in September, after purchasing Jony Ive's AI devices startup io for more than $6 billion in May. Turley and Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications, led the Software Applications acquisition, the blog post said.

OpenAI buys the maker of Mac automation app Sky

OpenAI's relentless push for growth took another turn on Thursday when the company said it had bought Software Applications Incorporated. The company is perhaps best known for making Workflows. Apple bought that iOS automation app in 2017 and turned it into Shortcuts. This year, though, Software Applications Incorporated unveiled Sky, a new automation app for Mac. Given its focus on agentic AI -- artificial intelligence systems that carry out actions on your behalf -- it's easy to see why OpenAI would be interested in scooping that up. "Whether you're chatting, writing, planning, or coding, Sky understands what's on your screen and can take action using your apps," Software Applications said. "Now, we're joining OpenAI to bring these capabilities to even more people. We can't wait to share more." OpenAI plans to incorporate "Sky's deep macOS integration and product craft" into ChatGPT. All of the Software Applications team will join the company. Apple has been working on integrating similar features into a new version of Siri. The company first demoed those in 2024, but the overhauled Siri is not expected to arrive until spring 2026. Reports suggest that Apple wants the new Siri to carry out actions in third-party apps. OpenAI recently announced third-party app integration for ChatGPT. News of the acquisition comes just days after OpenAI released ChatGPT Atlas, its first web browser. The app is available on macOS now, and it's coming to iOS, Android and Windows soon. OpenAI also bought AI-powered personal investing app Roi earlier this month.

OpenAI just bought the team behind Apple Shortcuts - 9to5Mac

In a surprise announcement, OpenAI says it has acquired Software Applications Incorporated -- makers of the Mac app called Sky. If that sounds a bit generic, the company was recently founded by the team behind Workflow, which Apple bought and turned into Shortcuts. Earlier this year, Software Applications Incorporated previewed a new Mac app called Sky. Unsurprisingly, Sky showed off how modern AI could be used to enhance automation and improve workflows on the Mac. So far, Apple hasn't matched what Sky has been developing. Apple, of course, is still developing the AI-infused version of Siri that was announced in June 2024 and delayed until at least Spring 2026. Here's more from today's announcement:

OpenAI Acquires Apple Shortcuts Creators to Bring Deep Mac Integration to ChatGPT

OpenAI today said that it has acquired Software Applications Incorporated and its AI app, Sky. Software Applications Incorporated and Sky were created by a team of former Apple employees known for their work on Apple's Shortcuts feature and the Workflow app that preceded it. Ari Weinstein and Conrad Kramer, two of the founders of Software Applications Incorporated, also founded Workflow. Workflow was a popular iOS automation app before Apple acquired it in 2017. Weinstein and Kramer joined Apple when Workflow was acquired, and the app ended up serving as the backbone for the Shortcuts feature that's available across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Kramer left Apple in 2019 and Weinstein left in 2023, which is when the two teamed up to found their new company and start work on Sky. Sky didn't officially launch, but it is a Mac-based natural language AI assistant able to answer questions and complete tasks in any open Mac window. OpenAI says that it plans to bring Sky's deep macOS integration into ChatGPT, with all members of the Sky team set to join OpenAI. That includes Weinstein, Kramer, and several other ex-Apple employees. "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." --Ari Weinstein, Co-Founder and CEO, Software Applications Incorporated OpenAI's Sky acquisition comes just a day after OpenAI announced ChatGPT Atlas, a new browser that's designed to compete with Safari and Chrome. ChatGPT Atlas can perform tasks on the user's behalf with ChatGPT's existing AI Operator features, but Sky could further enhance that functionality in the future.

OpenAI buys Apple Mac automation startup Software Applications - SiliconANGLE

OpenAI buys Apple Mac automation startup Software Applications OpenAI said today it has bought a company called Software Applications Inc., which is currently building an artificial intelligence-based natural language interface for Apple Inc.'s Mac computers. That tool is called Sky, and it has not yet been released, but the company's website reveals that it's meant to work as a kind of AI assistant. Similar to AI browsers, Sky can see Mac user's screens as they browse the web and use various applications, and will take actions on their behalf as they go about writing, coding, planning and more. Software Applications co-founder and Chief Executive Ari Weinstein said in a statement that his goal is to make computers more empowering and intuitive. "With LLMs, we can finally put the pieces together," he said, referring to the large language modes that power chatbots like ChatGPT. "That's why we built Sky, an AI experience that floats over your desktop to help you think and create." The acquisition suggests that OpenAI wants to embed its technology into the lives of everyday consumers and employees that work with Mac computers. It said it's planning to incorporate Sky's deep macOS integration into ChatGPT itself, and will hire Software Applications' entire team to help with that work. The Sky app actually bears some resemblance to OpenAI's new ChatGPT-powered web browser Atlas, which launched this week and is also built to run on Macs. The AI company may use the Sky team's knowledge of the macOS platform to enable ChatGPT to work like an agent inside Macs, automating tasks on behalf of users. Software Applications' founding team has had a long association with Apple. Weinstein and his co-founder Conrad Kramer previously built up a company called Workflow Inc., which developed a technology that later became known as "Shortcuts" when it was acquired by the iPhone maker in 2017. The pair worked at Apple for a number of years before leaving to found Software Applications in 2023. Another Sky co-founder is the startup's chief operating officer Kim Beverett, who served as a product manager at Apple for almost 10 years, working on things such as Safari, WebKit, Messages, Mail, FaceTime, Phone and SharePlay. The acquisition could lead to Apple getting even closer to OpenAI. The iPhone maker is generally viewed as having been a bit slow to adopt AI in its products and devices, but is believed to be planning a major overhaul of its Siri assistant. It has already shipped some AI features within its Apple Intelligence product suite, which enable iPhones to help users with their writing, perform live translations, generate images and so on. However, it's thought Apple is working with OpenAI to integrate Siri with ChatGPT, so it can use that company's chatbot to respond to queries that its assistant can't handle. OpenAI didn't reveal the terms of the acquisition, but it's unlikely to have been hugely expensive. To date, Software Applications had raised just $6.5 million in funding from investors including OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, Figma Inc. CEO Dylan Field, Context Ventures and Stellation Capital.

OpenAI Acquires The Company Behind The New Apple Mac App Sky

In what is indicative of OpenAI's efforts to further encroach into Apple's sprawling ecosystem, the builder of ChatGPT just acquired a company that is championing enhanced automation and improved workflows on the Mac, Software Applications Incorporated. In a press release issued just moments ago, OpenAI announced that it is acquiring Software Applications Incorporated, the company behind Sky, a natural language interface application for Mac computers. Sky is basically an AI assistant for macOS that leverages the power of AI models in the following ways: Expounding on Sky's significant for improved workflow on Mac computers, OpenAI notes: "Sky is a powerful natural language interface for the Mac. With Sky, AI works alongside you, whether you're writing, planning, coding, or managing your day. Sky understands what's on your screen and can take action using your apps. We will bring Sky's deep macOS integration and product craft into ChatGPT, and all members of the team will join OpenAI." According to Nick Turley, the VP and Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, "Sky's deep integration with the Mac accelerates our vision of bringing AI directly into the tools people use every day." Do note that Sky was built by the same team that was behind Workflow, which Apple purchased back in 2017 and and re-branded into Shortcuts. Workflow allowed users to combine the functionalities of various apps together to automate otherwise complex processes. Of course, Sky far exceeds the capabilities of what Apple itself has to offer via Apple Intelligence. After all, the Cupertino giant has been working for quite some time to bring in-app actions and personal context awareness - where Siri uses personal data to provide tailored services - across its family of devices. We reported recently that some Apple engineers remain concerned about the performance of the new Siri, which is expected to ship with the iOS 26.4 build in the spring of 2026. Apple also suffered a major setback recently when it came out that Ke Yang, who was appointed the head of its Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team only weeks earlier, is now reportedly leaving for a lucrative stint at Meta Platforms Inc.

OpenAI Acquires Former Apple Shortcuts Team to Expand Desktop Offering | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. The startup's flagship tool, Sky for Mac, is a desktop assistant that lets users control software through natural language and visual context. The system can identify what appears on screen and execute actions like opening files, drafting messages or navigating apps. OpenAI said the company's dozen employees will join its ChatGPT division, focusing on developing interface technologies for agentic computing. Software Applications previously raised $6.5 million from investors, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Figma CEO Dylan Field. OpenAI said the acquisition was approved by its independent board and managed by the product team overseeing ChatGPT's interface roadmap. Financial details were not disclosed. Founded in 2023, Software Applications aimed to make personal computing more intuitive through contextual AI. Its Sky assistant blends speech recognition and computer vision to understand what users are doing on their devices and assist accordingly. OpenAI's ChatGPT team lead Nick Turley said Sky's technology "brings ChatGPT closer to acting as an on-screen collaborator." The acquisition follows the launch of ChatGPT Atlas, OpenAI's new browser that embeds the model directly into online workflows. Atlas allows users to browse, summarize and act on web content in real time, signaling the company's move toward full-service AI workspaces. Together, Atlas and Sky suggest OpenAI's vision of unifying browser, desktop and cloud-based environments under a single agentic system. The deal also reflects OpenAI's expanding infrastructure footprint. As PYMNTS reported, the company's compute partnerships with Microsoft, Google Cloud and Oracle now exceed $1 trillion in total contract value, underscoring the resources needed to power autonomous agents at scale. The acquisition shows OpenAI's intent to transform ChatGPT into an operating layer for everyday computing. By merging interface design and model capability, OpenAI is moving toward AI that can manage files, applications and workflows directly from users' devices. For OpenAI, integrating Sky's desktop technology advances its goal of building AI that doesn't just respond to queries but acts as a true collaborator, linking language, context and execution across the desktop, web and cloud.

OpenAI acquires Sky maker Software Applications Incorporated By Investing.com

Investing.com -- OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Incorporated, the company behind Sky, a natural language interface for Mac computers. Sky provides a powerful AI interface that works alongside users as they write, plan, code, or manage their daily tasks. The application is designed to understand screen content and take actions using the user's installed applications. The entire Software Applications Incorporated team will join OpenAI as part of the acquisition. OpenAI plans to integrate Sky's macOS capabilities into its ChatGPT product. Nick Turley, VP & Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, stated: "We're building a future where ChatGPT doesn't just respond to your prompts, it helps you get things done. Sky's deep integration with the Mac accelerates our vision of bringing AI directly into the tools people use every day." Ari Weinstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Software Applications Incorporated, added: "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." OpenAI indicated that further updates on the integration of Sky's capabilities will be announced in the future. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.