While AI bots have begun mastering tasks in browsers and on Windows, Mac-using enterprises have largely been overlooked, until now. OpenAI aims to change that with its acquisition of generative AI interface maker Software Applications Incorporated.
The base of this integration is Sky, a generative AI-based, natural language-input compatible assistant for macOS that the San Francisco-headquartered startup has been developing to help users automate various tasks.
“Whether you’re chatting, writing, planning, or coding, Sky understands what’s on your screen and can take action using your apps,” the startup wrote on its portal describing Sky.
Giving AI control of the OS
The idea of automating tasks for desktop users is not entirely novel. Last year in October, Anthropic became the first LLM provider to showcase the possibility of controlling a computer or some parts of its operating system.
That ability, which Anthropic had termed “computer use,” enabled developers to instruct Claude 3.5 Sonnet, through the Anthropic API, to read and interpret what’s on the display, type text, move the cursor, click buttons, and switch between windows or applications.
It caught the attention of experts and enterprises as the ability was a major step up from more traditional automation practices, such as robotic process automation (RPA) tools, which required more time and labor to set up and yet would require constant maintenance.
Another issue with RPA tools was that enterprise users or developers would have to change the code or script as the interface of the operating system changed. In contrast, Anthropic’s ability demonstrated that LLMs can understand what they are looking at, eliminating the need to change scripts as interfaces change.
Just days after Anthropic’s announcement, Google also entered the AI-based computer use fray by showcasing Jarvis, an offering designed to automate tasks such as research and shopping within the Chrome browser with the help of the company’s Gemini 2.0 LLM.
Around the same time, OpenAI reportedly revealed that it had been working on a similar capability since February last year.
The acquisition of Sky and its integration into ChatGPT, according to Forrester principal analyst Charlie Dai, is OpenAI’s significant step towards gaining a sizeable share of the nascent yet evolving AI-based automation market, driven by agentic AI.
OpenAI is likely to market use cases that involve automating workflows across apps, coding assistance, and integrating with collaboration tools for increased productivity, Dai said, adding that the company is targeting macOS as it is popular among developers and creative professionals, giving it a sizeable customer base.
Sky’s integration into ChatGPT is not the only product that OpenAI has as part of its macOS footprint.
Just last week, it launched ChatGPT Atlas — a web browser with ChatGPT built in — designed to automate tasks like bookings directly within the browser window, echoing Google’s Jarvis.
OpenAI is expected to release Atlas for Windows, iOS, and Android in the future. Microsoft, OpenAI’s close partner, has introduced similar capabilities for Windows via Copilot Mode in its Edge browser.
