OpenAI has closed the acquisition of Software Applications Incorporated, the company behind Sky, an AI interface for macOS focused on natural language; the plan is to take its deep integration with the Mac to ChatGPT and add the entire startup team to the project.
The operation marks a further step towards assistants who not only answer questions, but perform real tasks on the computer. For users in Spain and the rest of Europe, the move anticipates agents that cooperate with Mac apps, with a focus on permissions and privacy.
What is Sky and what's changing on the Mac?
Sky works as a layer that overlays the desktop and understands the user's context: read what's on the screen and can operate on native applications using natural language instructions; according to the company, the software has not yet been publicly released.
In everyday life, this layer allows write, plan, schedule or coordinate tasks without changing windows, since the assistant interprets the content and operates on multiple apps in chain.
Among its functions, according to the company's own description, are several contextual automation capabilities and actions through apps:
- Understand the user's screen and execute the requested action at the time.
- Chain tasks between macOS apps (for example, summarizing a website and send the summary by Messages).
- Create custom shortcuts, commands, and automations to extend functionalities.
- Operate in a floating window that always remains visible on the desk.
OpenAI wants to incorporate this approach to computer use into ChatGPT to move from mere conversation to practical assistance: "respond" to "help you do things", in the words of ChatGPT head Nick Turley, whose team led the acquisition.
The announcement comes in parallel with OpenAI's push for the Mac desktop: the company recently introduced ChatGPT Atlas, a wizard-centric browser with agent modes for completing multi-step tasks; Sky would extend that logic to the system level and other AI technologies and native apps.
Who's behind it and how does it fit with ChatGPT?
The startup's founders are Ari Weinstein, Conrad Kramer and Kim Beverett, a team with a footprint in Apple: the first two created Workflow (acquired by Apple and transformed into Shortcuts) and Beverett was a product and program manager in Safari, WebKit, Messages, Mail, Phone, FaceTime and SharePlay; that background in automation and macOS now joins OpenAI.
The entire workforce—around a dozen people—is joining OpenAI, while financial details have not been made public; according to the company, the transaction was led by Nick Turley and Fidji Simo and was approved by the board and independent committees, a significant point given the corporate governance of the organization.
Prior to the acquisition, Software Applications raised 6,5 million, with investors including Dylan Field (Figma), Context Ventures, and Stellation Capital; OpenAI reported that CEO Sam Altman maintained a passive stake through a fund, a fact disclosed in the agreement's note.
For Europe, the focus will be on transparency and permission control: an assistant who watches the screen and acts on behalf of the user will require clear consents, granular access management and guarantees aligned with the GDPR and the impending AI regulation. Companies with Mac fleets In Spain, these principles will be especially valued.
In parallel, Apple is moving forward with Apple Intelligence and preparing Siri improvements that prioritize on-device processing and data minimizationSky represents a more agentic vision, with greater capacity for action between apps, which reopens the debate between productivity and privacy.
With no availability schedule, it's reasonable to expect a gradual rollout of these features to ChatGPT for macOS, with phased testing and an emphasis on security. Users and organizations in Europe will be keeping a close eye on the data management, audits and platform controls before adopting persistent agents.
The acquisition of Sky consolidates the OpenAI's ambition to bring its technology to the core of the personal computer: a combination of native integration into macOS and ChatGPT capabilities that could redefine how we work on the Mac, provided the balance between utility and privacy convinces European users and regulators.