OpenAI Acquires Startup Founded by Ex-Apple Staff to Boost ChatGPT

OpenAI Acquires Mac-Centric UI Startup to Enhance ChatGPT’s Desktop Features: Report

  • OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a startup focused on AI-driven user interfaces for Mac desktops.
  • The team of approximately twelve employees, mainly former Apple staff, will join OpenAI to work on improving ChatGPT.
  • Software Applications Inc. was established in 2023 by former Apple employees behind the iPhone’s Shortcuts app.
  • The startup raised $6.5 million in funding from prominent investors, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Figma CEO Dylan Field.
  • The AI assistant “Sky,” developed by Software Applications, features a floating interface that interprets on-screen content but is not yet publicly released.

OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a company founded in 2023 by former Apple employees specializing in developing Artificial Intelligence-driven user interfaces for Mac computers. The move aims to strengthen OpenAI’s capacity to enhance the way ChatGPT and other Ai technology interact with personal computers.

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According to a Bloomberg News report, Software Applications completed a $6.5 million funding round with backers such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Figma CEO Dylan Field. The team consists of about a dozen employees, all of whom are expected to transition to OpenAI as part of the acquisition. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

The article notes that some founding members of Software Applications Inc. were directly involved in building the Shortcuts app for the iPhone, which automates actions on Apple devices. In 2025, the startup introduced an AI assistant known as “Sky,” designed to assist users by taking actions or answering questions. The “Sky” assistant features a floating window that overlays the Mac desktop and can analyze visible content on the screen; however, this product is not yet available to the public.

Nick Turley, head of the ChatGPT team at OpenAI, expressed enthusiasm for the new technology after a demonstration by Software Applications CEO Ari Weinstein. “We want to go way beyond responding to your prompts and move into a world where ChatGPT can actually do stuff for you,” Turley told Bloomberg. “Being able to act on your local applications is a huge part of that.”

The report states that the investment in Software Applications was approved by independent transaction and audit committees. The partnership targets further integration of AI into personal computing environments, with the aim of enabling automated assistance beyond simple text responses.

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