Mistlabs exits beta of its Ambi AI system on Apple devices with $26 million in funding

The ambient intelligence startup Mistlabs Ltd. today released its artificial intelligence system Ambi out of beta testing on Apple Inc. devices, backed by $26 million in new funding.

Ambi is designed to act without being asked. CEO Peter Mo said most AI platforms are designed to complete tasks and Mistlabs wants to see what becomes possible when software can “understand, reason and act in real time.” Ambi’s actions can sometimes occur “before the user even thinks to ask for them,” he said.

To achieve this, Ambi learns more about a person from the conversations it listens to on their iPhone, Apple Watch or Mac, and Mistlabs said the software’s insights into how that person likes to work refines over time. None of this is tied to a single device. Whatever Ambi is in follows the user from Mac to phone or watch.

A user who sets up a routine submits a recurring task to multiple agents at once, and those agents work with everything Ambi has collected about that person. In one example the company gives, someone sits in on a meeting about competitors while agents fact-check what is being said as the discussion progresses. Ambi may have compared competing products and prepared a suggestion on the user’s MacBook before anyone leaves the room. Agents stick around after the meeting ends and point out any missing information or new developments as the project progresses.

Further out, Mistlabs wants Ambi agents to negotiate with each other. The feature is expected to be available in the coming months and will be used when two people using the software are in the same meeting. Each agent would draw on what they know about their own user, and together they would figure out where each side’s priorities overlap.

Sticking points would probably also arise. From there, the agents should negotiate during the conversation for an outcome that both people can accept. Users set the permissions that determine what their agent can do.

The $26 million raised pre-launch will fund a standalone wearable device that Mistlabs is building to give Ambi more context about its users and their surroundings. Mo said the hardware could expand the system to “entirely new types of devices” over time. Luminous Ventures and Huaqin Technology Co. Ltd. led the San Francisco company’s Pre-A round. Huaqin, based in Shanghai, develops and produces smart devices for other brands.

Ambi is now available on Macs and Apple devices that support iOS 18, with audio storage disabled by default. Anyone interested in the wearable can join a waiting list, and Mistlabs said the device will follow later this year.

Image: Mistlabs