AI startup Hark has hired former Apple designer Abidur Chowdhury as its head of design, adding senior product expertise as it prepares to launch its first AI model this summer. Chowdhury joins a growing team of around 30 engineers recruited from companies including Google, Meta, and Amazon, according to Bloomberg. He left Apple in November after working at the company since 2019, where he played a key role in the design of the iPhone Air and appeared in a high-profile product video highlighting its features and design process. Hark is developing proprietary AI models and has been funded with $100 million by its founder and CEO, Brett Adcock, who expects the business to scale alongside his robotics venture, Figure AI. The startup positions itself around building human-focused AI systems, supported by a compact but experienced team.
Adcock told Bloomberg that Hark plans to release its first AI model this summer as it builds out its research and product capabilities. In a separate statement cited by The Information, the company aims to develop “human-centric AI.” Adcock also leads Figure AI, which raised more than $1 billion in a Series C round last year, valuing the company at $39 billion. Announcing that financing, Figure AI said, “This milestone is critical to unlocking the next stage of growth for humanoid robots.” The parallel expansion of both ventures reflects Adcock’s broader strategy to advance AI across software and robotics, supported by significant founder-led investment and senior technical hires.
