What Happened: So, OpenAI just snapped up a small company called Software Applications, Inc. These are the folks who were quietly building a really cool AI assistant for Mac computers called “Sky.”

• Imagine an AI that could actually see what was on your screen, understand the context of what you were doing, and then jump in to help you write, plan, or even code, all while moving between your different apps.
• That’s what Sky was supposed to be. It was never actually released, so we never got to try it, but the idea was a big one.
• We don’t know what OpenAI paid, but what’s really interesting is the team behind Sky. These guys have some serious Apple DNA.
• Two of the founders are the same guys who created the “Workflow” app, which Apple bought back in 2017 and turned into the “Shortcuts” app that’s on every iPhone today. The third founder was a manager at Apple for nearly a decade, working on core stuff like Safari, Messages, and FaceTime.

Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

Why This Is Important: Okay, so why is this such a big deal? This is a huge, flashing signpost pointing to OpenAI’s next big move: getting its AI off the web and planting it right onto our desktops, especially on Macs.

• The tech these guys built is like the missing puzzle piece for OpenAI to create a true “agent” – an AI that doesn’t just answer questions, but one that can watch what you’re doing and then actually do things for you automatically.
• This is basically OpenAI putting on its gloves for a direct showdown with Apple. We all know Apple is about to drop a massively upgraded, AI-powered Siri next year.
• The battle lines are being drawn: Apple is going to be all about privacy and doing things on your device, while OpenAI is betting that you’ll care more about raw power and an assistant that can actually get stuff done.

Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

Why Should I Care: What does this all mean for you? If you use a Mac, this could be a total game-changer.

• Imagine having the full power of ChatGPT built right into your system, able to automate all the boring, tedious tasks between your apps. It could make you a whole lot more productive.
• Of course, there’s the other side of the coin. You’d have to be pretty comfortable with the idea of letting an AI have full access to see and interact with everything on your screen, which… yeah, is a little spooky to think about.

What’s Next: So what happens now? OpenAI is being pretty quiet and hasn’t laid out its exact plans. But you can bet we’ll start to see Sky’s DNA show up in a future version of the ChatGPT desktop app or in some of their tools for businesses.

In the meantime, Apple is building its own “walled garden” for AI, focused on privacy. It’s all setting the stage for a massive clash over the next year or two between these two completely different ideas of what an AI assistant should be.