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Multi

OpenAI, the geniuses behind ChatGPT, have declared that they have acquired a nifty startup company called Multi. This indicates that some truly remarkable new capabilities might be on their way to enhance their AI systems. Multi is an advanced screensharing and collaboration tool that was specifically crafted with software engineering teams in mind. It offers features like shared cursors and the ability to simultaneously share screens with up to 10 people.

However, that startup is now being shut down as part of the acquisition to OpenAI. And they’ve posted this statement on their blog:

“What if desktop computers were inherently multiplayer? What if the operating system placed people on an equal footing with apps? Those were the questions we explored in building Multi, and before that, Remotion. Recently, we’ve been constantly pondering how we should work with computers. Not just using or on them, but truly collaborating with them. With AI. We believe it’s one of the most crucial product questions of our time.”

That’s definitely some thought-provoking positioning, especially when it comes to making PCs inherently multiplayer.

Speculations about how Multi’s features might be integrated into ChatGPT AI systems have been buzzing around X (formerly Twitter).

OpenAI just acquired this startup that basically allows someone to remotely control your computer…

I think we can all guess how this might fit in with ChatGPT on the desktop… https://t.co/V38XQqry09 pic.twitter.com/vDHGx52HTM

—andrew gao (@itsandrewgao) June 24, 2024

One user, a student developer, speculated that the collaboration and remote management functionality could make its way into the ChatGPT desktop app, which was announced for Mac earlier this year. This would enable things like ChatGPT to “draw on your screen” or even “edit code” on your behalf.

Some were ecstatic about the idea, and understandably so. Others, however, expressed some concerns about the security and privacy implications of letting an AI system take over their PCs.

We’ve witnessed both Microsoft and Apple begin to tackle the idea of integrating AI systems more deeply into PCs through the operating system. This includes features like the Recall function in Copilot+ PCs and the Apple Intelligence in Apple Silicon Macs.

It makes perfect sense for OpenAI to start exploring this realm on their own. Could Multi help AI break free from the confines of the app and take complete control of your PC on its own? We probably won’t know for a while, but this acquisition definitely brings along a key piece of technology that could make it a reality.