Hark: Adcock's New Startup Creates Personal AI with Hardware Platform
Brett Adcock, founder of Figure AI with a $39 billion valuation, has announced the startup Hark. The project has emerged from stealth mode with the goal of developing personal intelligence: proprietary AI models and physical devices. Adcock invested $100 million from his personal funds amid a $19 billion net worth. This is a strategic bet on integrating AI into everyday interfaces.
Hark's team includes 45 specialists—engineers and designers from Apple, Google, and Tesla. The plan is to double the headcount by mid-2026. A key figure is Abidur Choudhuri, the design director, who was previously the lead designer of the iPhone Air at Apple. He demoed the device at a company event, highlighting the high level of internal trust.
Design and Criticism of Existing Platforms
Choudhuri left Apple two months after the iPhone Air launch. In comments, he pointed out how current devices don't match the changing world: "Everything is designed around existing platforms." Hark rejects popular form factors like wearables—glasses, clips, or bracelets. The director was skeptical: "I don't think we should insert a layer between the human and interfaces."
The project focuses on a system with persistent memory. It can perceive audio and video while interacting with the environment in real time. The first AI models are slated for summer 2026, with hardware devices to follow soon after. In April, a cluster of thousands of Nvidia B200 GPUs will go live for training the models.
- Key differences of Hark from wearable AIs: persistent memory, real-time interaction, rejection of intermediate interfaces.
- Infrastructure: Nvidia B200 cluster to accelerate model development.
- Integration with Figure AI: training on robot data, Adcock remains CEO.
Competition and Timelines
OpenAI acquired Jony Ive's LoveFrom studio in May 2025 for $6.5 billion to develop an AI device. The project has been delayed until 2027. Hark aims to outpace competitors: models are already training on datasets from Figure AI robots. This gives access to real-world scenarios of AI interacting with the physical world.
Adcock is wearing multiple hats: CEO of Figure AI and founder of Hark. Robot data boosts the personal intelligence models, creating synergy between robotics and consumer devices.
What Matters
- Adcock's personal $100 million investment underscores the project's priority.
- Team of ex-Apple, Google, and Tesla staff—45 people, expanding to 90 by mid-2026.
- Ditching wearable form factors for systems with persistent memory and real-time perception.
- Nvidia B200 cluster launching in April for training models on Figure AI data.
- Competition with OpenAI: Hark plans a release before 2027.
— Editorial Team
No comments yet.