TONY MARKSAbout Tony Marks
I turn emerging technology into useful products.
I’m Tony Marks, an AI founder and product builder. My work spans conversational interfaces, voice, intelligent search, and the systems that make AI dependable in everyday use.
My approach
The product has to work beyond the demo.
A compelling prototype is a starting point. The harder work is connecting it to real data, understanding where it can fail, and making the experience clear enough that someone can use it without an explanation.
That is the thread through my work in sports, travel, retail, and enterprise software. I’m interested in the whole path from an idea to a product: what the user needs, how the system reaches an answer, and how we know that answer deserves their trust.
Today, I’m building Hotline Sports and Project Sapiens, while working selectively with organizations on AI strategy and product development.
Experience
From conversational AI to production systems.
2017
Founded Sapien AI
I founded Sapien AI during the early commercial wave of conversational artificial intelligence, focused on turning new capabilities into useful software.
Across the work
Sports, travel, and retail
My experience includes AI projects connected to the Olympic Games, voice capabilities for professional sports, customer experiences for airlines, and an interactive New Balance retail application. The common challenge was making complex information accessible through a useful interface.
2021
Exploring generative AI
My team participated in OpenAI’s developer beta, building on our experience with conversational products as generative AI opened new possibilities for software.
2025
A new chapter
The Sapien AI domain and brand were acquired. My current work is through Project Sapiens and my own products, including Hotline Sports.
Today
Building and sharing what I learn
I’m developing Hotline Sports, exploring pronunciation intelligence, and writing Field Notes about AI, product design, and the decisions behind working systems.
Current work
Two questions I keep coming back to.
Can this system give someone a trustworthy answer?
Hotline Sports applies that question to finding where to watch a game. It combines schedules, broadcasts, location, and service information so the answer can be more useful than a list of channels. Read the case study.
Does the technology respect the person using it?
My pronunciation research grew out of voice AI getting people’s names wrong. It explores human-verified pronunciations and phoneme mappings as a foundation for better speech experiences. Read the backstory.
Find me
A clear connection between the work and the person.
Consulting and product-development engagements are delivered through Project Sapiens, Inc. This site is my personal home for selected work, research, and writing.
Start a conversation
Have something worth building?
Tell me what you’re trying to create, who it needs to serve, and where you are today.
Tell me about your project →