OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Incorporated, the company behind Sky, a natural language interface for Mac designed to make AI work contextually across desktop applications. The deal underscores OpenAI’s focus on embedding ChatGPT directly into users’ workflows through intuitive, context-aware interfaces.

The acquisition brings Sky’s macOS integration expertise and entire team into OpenAI, marking a strategic step toward turning ChatGPT from a conversational assistant into a hands-on productivity tool.

“We’re building a future where ChatGPT doesn’t just respond to your prompts, it helps you get things done,” said Nick Turley, VP & Head of ChatGPT. “Sky’s deep integration with the Mac accelerates our vision of bringing AI directly into the tools people use every day.”

Developed by Ari Weinstein and his team at Software Applications Incorporated, Sky was designed to make computers more intuitive, customizable, and empowering. The app sits atop the desktop environment, allowing users to control applications and manage tasks through natural language commands.

“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.

Sky’s technology allows AI to understand what’s on the user’s screen and act contextually across different applications. This functionality could help ChatGPT evolve into a more proactive assistant capable of managing documents, organizing workflows, and supporting creative projects directly on the desktop.

The acquisition also highlights a subtle but important distinction between Apple’s macOS ecosystem and the third-party developers who innovate within it. While Sky was created specifically for the Mac, it was not an Apple product—it was an independent application built using Apple’s public developer tools.

Apple typically encourages independent developers to design new layers of productivity and interface innovation for its platforms, rather than acquiring or directly integrating their work. Products like Sky, Raycast, and Alfred thrive in that model: they extend macOS capabilities without being owned or managed by Apple itself.

Even though Sky delivered a uniquely contextual AI experience for Mac users, Apple historically prioritizes control, privacy, and system-level security over embedding third-party technologies into the operating system. As a result, the company often builds its own versions of popular features in-house, rather than adopting external ones.

For OpenAI, however, the acquisition of Software Applications Incorporated represents a rare opportunity to import a team with deep knowledge of macOS integration and user experience design. By bringing that expertise in-house, OpenAI positions ChatGPT as a more versatile, context-aware assistant that can operate across platforms—including macOS—without relying on Apple’s internal development roadmap.

While Apple continues to advance its own Apple Intelligence initiative, focused on on-device generative AI and privacy-first design, OpenAI’s Sky acquisition gives ChatGPT a foothold inside the Mac ecosystem from the outside in. It’s not a loss for Apple so much as a strategic shift: a third-party innovation that once served Mac users independently will now evolve under OpenAI’s direction.

From an industry perspective, this move should make ChatGPT feel more powerful on all computers — not just Macs. The integration principles that originated in Sky’s macOS design are likely to inform broader, cross-platform enhancements, helping OpenAI create a more seamless, context-aware AI experience across different operating systems. In doing so, the company positions itself to compete more directly with system-level AI assistants from Apple, Microsoft, and Google, each racing to integrate generative AI into everyday computing.

According to OpenAI, the acquisition was led by Nick Turley and Fidji Simo and received approval from the Transaction and Audit Committees of the company’s independent board of directors.

A disclosure accompanying the announcement noted that an investment fund associated with Sam Altman held a passive investment in Software Applications Incorporated, emphasizing the acquisition’s adherence to corporate governance protocols.

Q1: What company did OpenAI acquire?
A: OpenAI acquired Software Applications Incorporated, the maker of Sky, a natural language interface for macOS.

Q2: What is Sky’s primary function?
A: Sky allows users to interact with their Mac through natural language commands, helping with tasks like writing, planning, coding, and organization.

Q3: How will Sky’s technology be used?
A: OpenAI will integrate Sky’s macOS capabilities into ChatGPT, enabling the assistant to act directly within users’ desktop environments.

Q4: Who led the acquisition at OpenAI?
A: The acquisition was led by Nick Turley and Fidji Simo, with oversight from OpenAI’s independent board committees.

Q5: Why is this acquisition significant?
A: It represents OpenAI’s move toward embedded, action-driven AI experiences, extending ChatGPT’s reach beyond chat into daily computing tasks.

The acquisition of Sky gives OpenAI the missing link between its Agent capabilities and real-world computer use. While ChatGPT’s Agent can reason, plan, and take actions, Sky provides the interface intelligence—the ability to see what’s on a user’s screen, understand context, and safely interact with native applications.

That combination turns ChatGPT from a conversational AI into a functional desktop companion. Instead of switching between chat prompts and separate software, users could eventually work with an assistant that reads, responds, and acts directly within their workflow—editing a document, organizing notes, or automating tasks inside existing apps.

The key difference lies in how the AI takes action. Today, ChatGPT’s Agent can execute tasks like booking flights or managing schedules through trusted APIs—secure digital connections that let one program send structured instructions to another. These APIs don’t require the AI to “see” anything on the screen; they simply translate the model’s intent into code the partner system understands.

But that method has limits. APIs only exist for specific partners or integrated services. If a user opens a random desktop app or local file without a public API, the Agent can reason about what should happen next—but it can’t actually perform the action.

That’s where Sky changes everything. Its macOS integration layer gives OpenAI a trusted, system-level bridge, allowing the AI to perceive what’s on-screen and take contextually appropriate actions—safely and within operating system permissions.

Strategically, it also strengthens OpenAI’s position against platform-native assistants like Apple Intelligence and Microsoft Copilot. While those systems are tied to specific operating systems, ChatGPT—enhanced by Sky’s macOS integration technology—can become cross-platform, blending deep context awareness with flexible deployment.

In short, Sky gives OpenAI not just smarter AI, but a smarter way to use AI—bridging the gap between the intelligence of the Agent and the environments where people actually get work done.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant used for research and drafting. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.