OpenAI acquires Apple Shortcuts team to build AI agents for macOS

OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Incorporated (SAI), the team behind Apple’s Shortcuts feature, signaling the company’s ambitions to integrate AI more deeply into operating systems. SAI was developing Sky, an AI interface that can control macOS applications through natural language commands, suggesting OpenAI plans to move beyond chatbots toward AI agents that can directly manipulate users’ desktop environments.

What you should know: The acquisition brings proven Apple veterans with deep macOS expertise to OpenAI’s growing platform ambitions.
• SAI’s co-founders Ari Weinstein (CEO), Conrad Kramer (CTO), and Kim Beverett (Product Lead) previously worked at Apple after the tech giant acquired their automation tool Workflows, which became Shortcuts.
• The team left Apple to develop Sky, which leverages Apple APIs and accessibility features to provide context about what’s on screen to a large language model.
• Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

How Sky works: The tool acts like an intelligent version of Apple’s Shortcuts, but without requiring manual setup from users.
• Sky uses machine learning to understand what’s currently displayed on a user’s Mac screen through Apple’s accessibility APIs.
• Users can give plain language commands, and the AI executes them across multiple applications automatically.
• The system generates workflows on the fly based on user prompts, eliminating the need for pre-configured automation rules.

The bigger picture: This acquisition reinforces OpenAI’s strategy to expand beyond conversational AI into autonomous software agents.
• The move follows OpenAI’s recent launch of Atlas, a ChatGPT-driven web browser, indicating broader platform ambitions.
• Most of OpenAI’s native desktop efforts have focused on macOS, likely because many of its early adopters are developers who primarily use Mac computers.
• The acquisition provides OpenAI with the technical knowledge needed to develop AI agents that can work directly within users’ macOS environments rather than just offering suggestions.

What they’re saying: OpenAI emphasized the importance of context-aware interfaces in advancing AI capabilities.
• “AI progress isn’t only about advancing intelligence—it’s about unlocking it through interfaces that understand context, adapt to your intent, and work seamlessly,” an OpenAI representative wrote in the company’s blog post.
• OpenAI plans to “bring Sky’s deep macOS integration and product craft into ChatGPT, and all members of the team will join OpenAI.”

What’s unclear: The future development path for Sky under OpenAI’s ownership remains uncertain, though both companies suggest the acquisition represents broader strategic goals beyond a single macOS application.