OpenAI has closed the acquisition of Software Applications Inc., the company behind Sky, a natural language interface designed for macOS. The move seeks to take AI from the browser to the system, with an experience that understands the on-screen context and acts within apps, something of special interest to users and companies in Spain and Europe.
Sky works as an assistant that "floats" above the desktop, assisting the user in writing, planning, or programming, and is able to interpret what appears on the monitor. Although the product had not reached the public, his proposal already aimed to execute actions directly on the Mac, reducing steps and automating everyday tasks.
A more proactive ChatGPT on the Mac desktop
OpenAI's strategy is to bring the deep integration with macOS which Sky proposes directly to ChatGPT, so that the assistant not only answers questions, but can also “do” things within the operating system and installed applications.
As the company explained, this technology accelerates its vision of transforming ChatGPT into a more active assistant. The idea is to evolve from a prompt-based usage model to an AI that anticipates the user's intention and execute actions with less friction, especially in office, content, and support tasks.
Sky's CEO, Ari Weinstein, will join OpenAI's team to scale the project. The ambition is to bring these capabilities to hundreds of millions of people who already use the company's products, reinforcing ChatGPT's presence in the Apple ecosystem.
This approach aligns with the trend toward more contextual assistants that understand the device's status and help complete processes from start to finish. In practice, this translates into fewer prompts and more actions specific, without forcing the user to switch applications or copy and paste information.
Founders, investment, and fit into the Apple ecosystem
Sky's team has a pedigree tied to Apple: Ari Weinstein and Conrad Kramer co-founded Workflow, a tool that Apple acquired and turned into ShortcutsJoining them is Kim Beverett, who previously spent a decade in Cupertino working in areas such as Safari, Messages, and FaceTime, bringing in-depth knowledge of the macOS environment.
The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, but the startup had attracted 6,5 million from investors including Dylan Field (Figma), Context Ventures, and Stellation Capital, in addition to a passive interest linked to Sam Altman through a fund. The acquisition was approved by the relevant governing bodies and independent committees.
In parallel, Apple is moving forward with Apple Intelligence—included in the Mac—and has announced features such as writing aids, image creation, and translation, in addition to the ability to forward certain queries to ChatGPT with consent of the user. Sky's arrival at OpenAI fits into this landscape of occasional collaboration and complementary skills in the Mac ecosystem.
The ability for an assistant to "see" the screen and act on the user's behalf opens up opportunities, but also requires safeguards. In the European Union, GDPR requirements and privacy expectations will require granular controls, explicit permissions, and clarity about what data is processed, where and with what technical limits (e.g., local execution where possible).
For those working with Macs in Spain and Europe—from SMEs to creative studios or technical teams—this integration aims to Applied productivity: fewer clicks and more results in office automation, customer service, development, or project management tasks. The pace of deployment and experience design will determine its adoption on the ground.
With the acquisition of Sky, OpenAI is betting on bringing ChatGPT to the heart of the Mac desktop, transforming it from answering to collaborating. Between integration with macOS, the team's talent, and the capital already raised, the challenge now is to balance utility, security and privacy in a launch that could change how we use computers on a daily basis.