On Thursday, OpenAI revealed it has purchased Software Applications, Inc., the company behind Sky, an AI-driven natural language tool for Mac computers.
Sky, which had not yet been made available to the public, is built to assist users throughout their daily computer activities—whether writing, planning, coding, or more. Much like AI browsers, Sky can observe your screen and perform actions within your applications on your behalf.
This acquisition marks a major move for OpenAI as it seeks to integrate its technology into the daily routines of consumers and businesses using Mac devices.
“Our goal has always been to make computers more intuitive, flexible, and empowering. With large language models, we’re finally able to achieve that. That’s the inspiration behind Sky—an AI assistant that hovers over your desktop to support your thinking and creativity. We’re excited to join OpenAI and bring this vision to millions,” said Ari Weinstein, co-founder and CEO of Software Applications, in a statement.
It’s worth noting that the Sky team had previously achieved another notable exit.
Weinstein and Conrad Kramer were also the founders of Workflow, which was acquired by Apple and became the foundation for what is now known as Shortcuts. Both remained at Apple for several years before launching Software Applications in August 2023. Kim Beverett, the third co-founder and COO of Sky, was a senior program and product manager at Apple, spending nearly a decade working on products such as Safari, WebKit, Privacy, Messages, Mail, Phone, FaceTime, and SharePlay.
Apple, which has lagged behind in AI so far, is anticipated to unveil a revamped Siri with advanced AI capabilities next year. The company has already introduced features powered by its Apple Intelligence technology, such as writing assistance, real-time translation, image generation, visual search, and more. Apple is also collaborating with OpenAI to route Siri queries it cannot answer to ChatGPT. Apple Intelligence is available across its platforms, including Mac.
Additionally, Apple provides a Foundation Models framework, enabling developers to access on-device AI models and directly integrate AI into their applications.
Nonetheless, Apple emphasizes privacy as a fundamental aspect of its AI offerings, and a system that can view your screen and act on your behalf may raise concerns among its more security-conscious users. Agentic AI is still in its infancy, and recent assessments suggest that AI browsers present significant safety challenges. Therefore, it may take Apple some time to introduce a Mac AI system on par with Sky.
The financial details of OpenAI’s acquisition have not been disclosed, but Pitchbook data shows that Sky’s creators had secured $6.5 million in funding from investors such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Figma CEO Dylan Field, Context Ventures, and Stellation Capital. OpenAI noted that Altman’s involvement was through a passive investment via a fund.
The acquisition was overseen by Nick Turley, Head of ChatGPT, and Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications, and received approval from OpenAI’s board.



