Ex-Android leaders are developing operating system for AI agents
What's the story
A bunch of former Android executives, including Hugo Barra and David Singleton, have launched a start-up called "/dev/agents."
The new venture, as the name suggests, is focused on building an operating system for artificial intelligence (AI) agents.
The move comes as tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are increasingly moving toward building digital assistants capable of working on their own with little human involvement.
Development hurdles
Addressing challenges in AI agent development
Singleton, co-founder and CEO of /dev/agents, has emphasized the challenges developers encounter while building powerful AI agents.
"We can see the promise of AI agents, but as a developer, it's just too hard to build anything good," he told Bloomberg.
Singleton, Google's former Android VP of engineering, thinks the industry needs an "Android-like moment for AI," a major shift or breakthrough in technology.
OS vision
Start-up's vision for a cloud-based AI OS
The start-up is working on a cloud-based "next-gen operating system for AI agents." Essentially, it aims to build an environment where trusted agents can interact with users on different devices.
Singleton stressed that these AI agents would need innovative user interface patterns, a redefined privacy model, and a developer platform that makes the creation of useful agents easier.
Team profile
Experienced team behind /dev/agents
The /dev/agents team also features several industry veterans.
Barra, who previously handled Android at Google and went on to lead Facebook's Oculus VR team, is now the start-up's Chief Product Officer.
Other notable members include CTO Ficus Kirkpatrick, an early Android engineer and former VP of AR and VR at Meta, and Chief Design Officer Nicholas Jitkoff, who worked on ChromeOS design.