IrisGo launches beta desktop assistant backed by Andrew Ng

In short: IrisGo has launched beta versions of its macOS and Windows apps that learn your computer tasks by watching you do them once.

What happened

IrisGo is a startup building a desktop assistant for PCs. The company says the app can watch what you do on your computer, learn the steps, and then repeat the task later without you giving the same instructions again. It is like showing someone how to fill out a form one time and having them remember the exact clicks for next time.

The app was co-founded by Jeffrey Lai, a former Apple engineer who worked on the Chinese language version of Siri. The product name is a nod to that, because “Iris” is “Siri” spelled backwards.

In a demo described by TechCrunch, the assistant learned how to place an online coffee order, including selecting a drink and completing payment steps. IrisGo says the bigger goal is office work, such as drafting emails, processing invoices, building reports, and summarizing documents. It also includes a coding assistant for software developers.

IrisGo previously raised a $2.8 million seed round led by Andrew Ng’s AI Fund, according to the report. Nvidia and Google have also backed the company. IrisGo is also pursuing deals to have the app preinstalled on new laptops, and it has struck one such deal with Acer.

Why it matters

Tools that can take over repetitive computer steps could save time for people who spend their day in email, spreadsheets, and web portals. IrisGo also says it tries to handle more work directly on your device, not just on remote servers, which can reduce privacy concerns. The company says it only uses cloud processing when a user explicitly allows it, and that it uses end-to-end encryption (a locked tunnel for data) when it does.

Source: TechCrunch AI