Startup Hark has broadly launched its Hark Pro service, introducing a personal AI assistant that does more than answer questions: it uses the computer on the user’s behalf to perform complete digital tasks. The service is available for free, with a subscription intended for heavy users.
Hark was founded less than a year ago by serial entrepreneur Brett Adcock. The company says its goal is not to build artificial general intelligence or compete with major laboratories in model development, but to design a new user interface for interacting with AI systems. The company sees Hark Pro as potentially becoming the nucleus of an operating system for AI-based computers in the future.
An Assistant That Acts Inside the Computer
Hark Pro operates in a full-screen experience that includes a central chat box, a feed suggesting actions the user may need to take, and small panels displaying customized information or indicators. The interface background also changes according to the weather and time at the user’s location.
After being granted access to items such as email, the calendar, the hard drive, and credit cards, the assistant can perform digital tasks in addition to providing traditional answers. During a product demonstration, the assistant suggested actions such as reviewing expenses, replying to emails, and booking a trip. Hark also cited a case in which the system recognized that a colleague needed to renew a vehicle registration with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, then completed the procedure through the government agency’s website.
Showing the Agent’s Steps to Build Trust
One of the most prominent design decisions in Hark Pro is displaying a small window showing the user how the agent navigates the web. Hark says this option is intended to build trust, particularly because the assistant handles personal accounts and data and performs actions that may have significant consequences.
This approach is directly connected to the privacy problem facing personal assistants. For these services to be useful, users must give them broad visibility into their digital lives. Hark says it focuses on understanding users for task-related purposes and providing assistance, rather than building profiles for advertising purposes. Abidur Chowdhury, the company’s head of design, also emphasizes that Hark does not want to be like Meta or OpenAI in its handling of user data.
What Makes Hark Pro Different in Practice?
The company claims that the service is designed to replace the computer in carrying out a task from start to finish, instead of stopping at a point that requires the user to take control. Chowdhury acknowledges that Hark Pro may not be faster than competitors such as Muse, but he believes it may deliver a better result and complete the task in full.
Nevertheless, the practical comparison remains open. The model used is trained specifically to control computers, which may make it faster and less expensive for these tasks, but the source does not determine how much general knowledge and broader capabilities available in advanced AI models it may sacrifice.
A Dedicated Device in 2027
Hark’s plan is not limited to software; the company intends to launch a device designed for AI in 2027. The company has not disclosed the device’s form, while Chowdhury expressed reservations about wearable cameras because of what he described as their intrusive nature. Therefore, the idea cannot yet be evaluated in practice, and the question remains open as to whether the device will genuinely introduce a new category or re-present a familiar concept in a different form.
Why Does This Launch Matter?
Hark Pro represents a direction that goes beyond chatbots toward agents that perform digital work on the user’s behalf. The potential value here lies not only in answering questions, but in reducing the number of steps required to complete a task. At the same time, the broader the permissions, the more important transparency, human control, and account and data security become. Showing the agent’s movements may help build trust, but it alone does not prove that the service is safe or that its results are correct in every case.