Global Illumination
Global Illumination was a small NYC studio founded by ex-Instagram and Facebook engineers that built creative tools and a Minecraft-style sandbox game called Biomes. OpenAI announced in August 2023 that it had acquired the company in its first-ever acquisition; the team joined OpenAI to work on core products including ChatGPT. The Biomes code is open-source but the company brand was retired.
Acquisition Details
OpenAI confirmed the acquisition on its blog in Aug 2023, the company's first acquisition ever. Team joined OpenAI; brand retired.
ðĐš Health Signals
No checks have been run on this tool yet.
ð Timeline
Global Illumination founded
https://globalillumination.com
Open-sources Biomes sandbox game
https://github.com/ill-inc/biomes-game
Acquired by OpenAI
https://openai.com/index/global-illumination-joins-openai/
ð Alternatives to Global Illumination
Midjourney
ðĒActiveAI image generation tool known for producing highly artistic and detailed images.
ChatGPT
ðĒActiveOpenAI's conversational AI assistant that sparked the generative AI revolution.
OpenAI API
ðĒActiveAPI platform providing access to GPT models for developers to build AI applications.
ðŠĶ Other dead other tools
Rewind AI
âŦAbandonedRewind shipped a Mac app in 2022 that recorded everything on screen and made it locally searchable, raising $10M from a16z. By late 2023 the team pivoted hard toward a wearable pendant and renamed the company Limitless AI in late 2023. The Rewind Mac app still works for existing users but the brand, website, and product roadmap have all moved to Limitless. New signups land on limitless.ai.
Arc Browser
âŦAbandonedArc launched in 2022 with a sidebar-tab layout and a cult following. The Browser Company raised $50M to build it, then announced in October 2024 that Arc was too complex for mainstream users and that all new development would shift to a new AI-first browser called Dia. Arc receives security patches only; no new features ship. Dia entered closed beta in 2025 and became the company's primary focus.
Humane AI Pin
ðīShutdown / DeadHumane launched the AI Pin in November 2023 with $230M+ in funding and pitches from ex-Apple founders. Reviewers panned battery life, latency, and a laser projector that wilted in sunlight. Sales never materialized, returns outpaced new orders, and in February 2025 HP acquired Humane's IP and team for roughly $116M while bricking existing Pins by month's end. The hardware is now a paperweight; the cloud services that powered it were shut off.
Multi
ðĄAcquired / MergedMulti (formerly Remotion) was a Mac video collaboration tool that let small teams co-edit screens with rich AI-assisted features. OpenAI announced the acquihire in June 2024, the entire team joined OpenAI to work on collaboration in ChatGPT, and the Multi product was shut down on July 24, 2024. The site now redirects to OpenAI.
â Frequently Asked Questions
What did Global Illumination do?
It built creative and collaboration tools and an open-source Minecraft-like sandbox called Biomes. Most of the team came from Instagram and Facebook.
Why did OpenAI buy them?
OpenAI wanted the team's product and design talent for ChatGPT and core consumer products. It was OpenAI's first-ever acquisition.
Is Biomes still playable?
The hosted Biomes game was sunset; the code remains open-source on GitHub for self-hosting.
Where can I find the founders' work now?
They are at OpenAI, contributing to product surfaces like ChatGPT Canvas and team workspaces.