OpenAI acquires AI agent orchestration startup Ona

OpenAI Group PBC today announced plans to acquire Ona, a startup with a platform for managing long-running artificial intelligence agents.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Developers often run the AI agents they use to write code on their local machines. When a workstation is turned off, the AI agents that it runs end their work. That limits their ability to perform long-running tasks spanning multiple days.

Ona, officially Gitpod GmbH, provides a platform that enables AI agents to run in cloud-based sandboxes. Ona sandboxes remain online when the developers who use them shut down their workstations, which means AI agents’ work is not interrupted.

The company says that its software also provides other benefits. The cloud offers access to more computing resources than a developer workstation, which enables agents to complete tasks quicker. Additionally, Ona deletes the sandboxes in which it runs AI agents when they’re no longer needed. Local AI agent environments aren’t always deleted as promptly, which increases the risk of data theft. 

Administrators can configure an Ona sandbox to prevent agents from accessing risky programs. According to the company, its platform can block a malicious application even if hackers rename it, move it to a different file path or hide it in a script.

The software detects obfuscation attempts using a method called hashing. It generates a hash, or unique cryptographic signature, for every program that administrators wish to block. The signature enables Ona to identify a blocked application even if parameters such as its file name change.

The company’s platform also includes other security guardrails. It can prevent AI agents from accessing parts of the file system that contain sensitive credentials such as encryption keys. According to Ona, the software also blocks outbound connections to potentially malicious servers.

OpenAI will use the company’s technology to enhance its Codex AI assistant. Codex launched last year with a focus on speeding up software development projects. This month, OpenAI added upgrades that make the tool better at non-technical tasks such as creating ad visuals. The company says that Codex has more than 5 million weekly users.

According to OpenAI, Ona will improve Codex’s ability to perform long-running tasks that take hours or days. In particular, it will enable users to review the work of agents and provide input when necessary. The Ona team will join the Codex team to help OpenAI implement the upgrades. 

The deal comes three months after the ChatGPT developer’s previous acquisition. OpenAI bought Promptfoo Inc. in March to enhance the cybersecurity features of its OpenAI Frontier platform, which enables companies to build custom AI agents. Promptfoo developed a set of tools that can detect and fix vulnerabilities in AI applications.

Image: OpenAI