OpenAI Buys ‘Sky’ Mac Interface Startup
Updated on
Published on
Key Facts
- OpenAI acquired Software Applications, Inc., maker of the Mac AI interface Sky.
- Sky overlays the desktop to help with writing, planning, and coding inside Mac apps.
- Founders built Workflow (acquired by Apple and turned into Shortcuts); terms weren’t disclosed.
OpenAI is bringing more of its tech directly onto the desktop by purchasing Software Applications, the team behind Sky, an AI layer for macOS that sits above your workspace and responds to natural language. The goal: make everyday tasks—drafts, plans, code, and more—faster inside the tools people already use.
Co-founder Ari Weinstein said Sky was designed to make computers feel more intuitive and customizable. The company confirmed the deal was led by OpenAI execs Nick Turley and Fidji Simo, with board-level approvals in place and a disclosure that an investment fund tied to OpenAI’s CEO held a passive stake.
The Sky founders—Weinstein, Conrad Kramer, and Kim Beverett—previously shipped core Apple experiences, including Workflow/Shortcuts and work across Safari, Messages, and SharePlay. The acquisition lands alongside OpenAI’s new Atlas browser push, signaling a broader strategy to weave ChatGPT into everyday computing.
