The race to build truly intelligent, physically embodied AI is heating up, and a new player has emerged with a compelling combination of talent and ambition. Hark, a freshly launched AI company founded by serial entrepreneur Brett Adcock, aims to move beyond the limitations of current AI systems by creating a fully integrated hardware and software platform. What sets Hark apart is its recent hire: Abidur Chowdhury, a former design lead at Apple who played a key role in the development of the iPhone Air.
Adcock, known for founding robotics firm Figure AI and eVTOL company Archer Aviation, among others, envisions Hark as a system that anticipates user needs and operates more like a collaborative partner than traditional software. This isn’t about another chatbot or voice assistant; it’s about building a physical interface capable of “agentic work” – proactively assisting users throughout their day. The company’s ambition is to create a seamless, conversational experience that feels less like interacting with technology and more like working with an intelligent colleague.
Chowdhury’s arrival is a significant coup for Hark. He was prominently featured in Apple’s marketing for the iPhone Air, even chosen to narrate the product announcement in September 2023, as seen in an Instagram reel. Yet, shortly after the iPhone Air received mixed reviews and despite initial positive reception, Chowdhury left Apple, citing a desire to join an AI company. That company is now Hark.
From Hiring Platforms to Humanoid Robots: Adcock’s Serial Entrepreneurship
Adcock’s career trajectory is marked by a pattern of identifying opportunities and building companies to address them. He first gained prominence after selling Vettery, a personnel hiring platform, in 2018 for a reported $100 million, according to Reuters. Since then, he’s founded Archer Aviation, which is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and Cover, a company focused on using NASA-licensed technology to enhance school safety, as reported by TechCrunch. Perhaps most notably, he founded Figure AI, a robotics company developing humanoid robots, which has garnered attention for its impressive demonstrations and, recently, a contentious whistleblower lawsuit, as detailed by Gizmodo.
Figure AI, currently valued at $2.6 billion, has attracted investment from Amazon and Nvidia, according to CNBC. This existing relationship with Nvidia is relevant to Hark, as the new company is building out significant computational infrastructure.
Building the “Full Stack” of AI
Hark’s approach is ambitious, aiming to control the entire AI development process, from foundational models to hardware interfaces. “We need to build the full stack of next generation AI models and advanced hardware interfaces,” Adcock stated. The company has already assembled a team of over 45 researchers, engineers, and designers recruited from companies like Tesla, Meta, and Apple. Crucially, Hark has secured access to a substantial cluster of NVIDIA B200 GPUs, representing a multi-million dollar investment in computing power, as of April.
The specifics of Hark’s physical product remain largely under wraps, mirroring the secrecy surrounding similar efforts at OpenAI, which is also developing a physical AI device in collaboration with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, as Gizmodo reported. Hark’s vision involves an AI interface that operates continuously, responding to conversational input and proactively assisting users throughout the day.
The Challenges of Physical AI Interfaces
The market for physical AI interfaces has seen a number of high-profile failures. Products like the Rabbit r1 and Humane AI Pin, both intended to reduce reliance on smartphones, have been widely criticized for their limited functionality and poor user experience, as detailed by Speedy Company. Even Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses, while achieving modest success, have faced controversy, according to Wired and Gizmodo. The Friend AI pendant, described by Gizmodo as offering minimal functionality, further illustrates the challenges in this space.
However, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang believes the tide is turning. In a statement included in Hark’s press release, Huang said, “The new era of personal AI will be defined by intelligent agents that understand context, reason across modalities, and act on our behalf.” He added that building these agents requires “enormous compute,” and Nvidia is prepared to support Hark’s efforts.
Hark’s success will depend on its ability to overcome the hurdles that have plagued previous attempts at creating a compelling physical AI interface. The company’s focus on a fully integrated hardware and software approach, combined with the expertise of its team, including the design talent of Abidur Chowdhury, positions it as a noteworthy contender in this rapidly evolving field. The next key milestone for Hark will be demonstrating a functional prototype and outlining a clear path to market, details the company has not yet disclosed.
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