Former Google employees who led the development of the Android mobile operating system have founded a new startup aimed at creating a software platform for AI agents. We are talking about creating a cloud platform that can support the performance of AI agents and will be available on different types of devices.
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One of the co-founders of a new startup called /dev/agents is Hugo Barra, Google’s former vice president of Android product management. He said the new company would return to the “roots of Android.” “We see the promise of AI agents, but it’s too difficult for us as developers to do anything good,” said startup co-founder and CEO David Singleton, Google’s former vice president of Android engineering. In his opinion, the industry needs something similar to Android, but for AI.
AI companies such as Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic are creating so-called AI agents that can perform certain tasks, such as booking airline tickets or writing code, with minimal human intervention. The new startup wants to create a cloud-based “next-generation operating system for AI agents” that can run on smartphones, laptops and even cars.
There are plans to develop a new user interface that will allow people to interact more naturally with AI agents across devices. The startup will not only create new user interface templates, but also rethink the privacy model and create a platform for developers that will radically simplify the creation of AI agents.
Hugo Barra, in addition to working at Google, also worked at Xiaomi and led the Oculus VR division at Facebook✴ (now Meta✴ Platforms). In addition to Barr and Singleton, Ficus Kirpatrick, an early Android engineer who was also Meta✴’s VP of AR and VR, took over as CTO of /dev/agents. The chief designer was Nicholas Jitkoff, who worked on the design of ChromeOS. The startup is expected to announce a funding round next week, raising significant funds from a group of investors.