OpenAI continues its aggressive expansion into the AI agent space with the acquisition of Software Applications Incorporated, the development team renowned for creating the app Workflows, which Apple later acquired and transformed into its Siri Shortcuts system. This move is particularly significant as Software Applications Incorporated recently launched a new automation application for Mac called Sky. This application aligns perfectly with OpenAI’s strategic direction toward agentic AI, where systems are designed to perform actions autonomously on a user’s behalf. Sky’s core functionality involves understanding what is displayed on a user’s screen and executing tasks within other applications, a powerful capability for any AI assistant. In a statement, the team expressed excitement about joining OpenAI to scale these capabilities for a broader audience. OpenAI plans to integrate Sky’s deep macOS integration and product design directly into ChatGPT. The entire team from Software Applications Incorporated will be joining OpenAI as part of the deal. This acquisition intensifies the brewing competition with Apple, which has its own plans for a major Siri overhaul. Apple first demonstrated a new, more capable Siri in 2024, but its public launch is not anticipated until the spring of 2026. Reports indicate that Apple’s goal is for Siri to perform actions within third-party applications, a feature set that OpenAI has already started rolling out for ChatGPT with its recent announcements of third-party app integrations. The purchase of Software Applications Incorporated is the latest in a series of strategic moves by OpenAI. It follows closely on the heels of the release of ChatGPT Atlas, the company’s first AI-powered web browser currently available on macOS, with versions for iOS, Android, and Windows promised soon. Earlier this month, OpenAI also acquired Roi, an AI-powered personal investing application, signaling a broad and rapid push to expand the functional capabilities of its AI ecosystem. This acquisition of the team behind Sky gives OpenAI a significant technological and experiential boost in the race to build the most effective and actionable AI agents.
