OpenAI acquires startup founded by former Apple engineers to bring AI natively to the Mac desktop

OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a tech startup building an AI-powered user interface for Mac desktops, part of a push by the ChatGPT maker to improve how artificial intelligence tools field tasks on a computer. The latest acquisition reveals where the company’s ambitions are headed next: straight into your desktop.

The deal, first reported by Bloomberg, brings roughly a dozen Apple alumni into OpenAI’s fold. Their company had been developing an AI-powered interface for Mac computers — a system built to make desktop workflows feel more like natural conversations with your computer. OpenAI plans to fold that technology into ChatGPT, potentially giving its assistant the ability to perform complex actions directly on users’ devices.

OpenAI Acquired Software Applications Inc.

“OpenAI has acquired Software Applications Inc., a startup building an AI-powered user interface for Mac desktops, part of a push by the ChatGPT maker to improve how artificial intelligence tools field tasks on a computer,” Bloomberg reported.

Founded in 2023 by a group of former Apple employees — including some who helped create the technology behind the iPhone’s Shortcuts app — the startup focused on making computer interaction feel more intuitive and task-driven. OpenAI is bringing on all twelve employees as part of the deal.

While financial terms weren’t disclosed, the move extends OpenAI’s strategy of acquiring specialized teams to strengthen its product ecosystem. Earlier this year, the company agreed to acquire product-testing startup Statsig for $1.1 billion and completed a nearly $6.5 billion deal for an AI hardware venture co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. Both were all-stock transactions.

This latest deal may be smaller, but it could prove strategically significant. Bringing in a team steeped in Apple’s design DNA — and in how users interact with everyday software — could help OpenAI build a more natural bridge between ChatGPT and the devices people use daily. Instead of living inside a browser tab, ChatGPT could soon act more like a digital co-worker — one that clicks, types, and executes commands the way a human would.

For Apple, it’s another reminder that some of its top talent continues to shape the direction of the broader AI race. For OpenAI, it’s another step toward turning ChatGPT from a web-based chatbot into something deeply integrated with how people actually work.