Many startups and tech giants are rapidly developing AI agents capable of independently executing multi-step tasks, a move anticipated to transform various business practices. This trend aims to streamline complex activities like booking flights, hotels, and excursions, marking a significant evolution in automation technologies.
One prominent company in this space is /dev/agents, initiated by former Google executives who played a vital role in the early development of Android. The co-founder and CEO, David Singleton, highlighted the necessity for a new operating system to harness the full potential of AI agents. "Before Android existed, we could all see the promise of mobile, but as a developer, it was just too hard to build anything on mobile," Singleton noted. He connected this past experience to the current challenges faced by developers in creating effective AI applications, asserting the need for standard tools and systems to facilitate the development process. Singleton aims to create a unified platform that could serve as the operating system for the AI domain.
The company is positioning itself to offer a cloud-based operating system that works seamlessly across various devices. It seeks to leverage generative AI technology to provide personalized user interfaces, an approach Singleton likens to their previous work with Android.
This initiative has garnered significant investor interest, as /dev/agents recently announced a $56 million seed round of funding. Led by Index Ventures and co-led by CapitalG, the independent growth fund of Alphabet, this financing round also saw participation from prominent figures in the tech industry, including OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy and Android founder Andy Rubin, who will serve as an advisor to the company. The investment round has reportedly valued /dev/agents at $500 million.
While many investors express confidence in the imminent arrival of fully-functional AI agents, there remains an acknowledgment of the current lack of necessary technical infrastructure. Although various companies are working on different components of AI agent frameworks, the supporters of /dev/agents believe that establishing a new third-party operating system could be crucial in unlocking the complete potential of these technologies. Nina Achadjian, a partner at Index Ventures, commented on the challenge and the scale of the idea, emphasising the unique qualifications of the team behind /dev/agents. "It’s a super difficult technical problem, and a really big idea," Achadjian remarked, asserting that the team’s background in building Android and Stripe positions them well for this ambitious goal.
In addition to Singleton, the founding team includes Hugo Barra, who brings experience from leading product management for Android and Meta's Oculus VR division, Ficus Kirkpatrick, an early Android engineer and previous VP of AR/VR at Meta, and Nicholas Jitkoff, a principal designer on Google Chrome with a history at Dropbox and Figma.
The company has ambitious plans for its product, with expectations to launch its initial version by early to mid-2024. Singleton conveys that the business model may resemble that of Android's current monetisation approach, suggesting potential avenues for generating revenue through a share of commerce conducted on the platform or client subscription fees.
As advancements in AI automation evolve, the developments at /dev/agents reflect the ongoing efforts within the tech industry to optimise and revolutionise business practices through innovative technologies.
Source: Noah Wire Services