Humane Launches $699 Ai Pin
Hardware startup Humane launched its first-ever product, the wearable Ai Pin. The gadget is already available to order within the US and prices start at $699.
As seen at Paris Fashion Week, the Pin is a square-shaped device with a magnetic back piece that clips to a piece of clothing, typically at chest level. The clip doubles as a battery pack, enabling battery swaps throughout the day. As a screenless device, the Pin should be lighter on battery usage than a typical smartphone.
The demo shows the Pin in three colors: Eclipse (all-black), Equinox (black with silver edges), and Lunar (white with silver edges). It weighs 2 ounces (55 grams) – the weight of a tennis ball. The “whole system” includes the Pin, two battery boosters, a charging pad and case, and a cable and adapter. There’s also a mandatory $24/month T-Mobile subscription for unlimited texting, calling, and data.
Humane explains that it’s a standalone device running on a proprietary operating system, Cosmos, and doesn’t support any apps. Instead, users can access various AI technologies on demand.
There isn’t a wake word that activates the device. Users can interact with the Ai pin with taps, hand gestures, and voice commands. It also comes with a laser ink display that projects a basic UI into the user’s palm. There’s an AI voice assistant named Ai Mic, powered by a combination of large language models, including OpenAI.
The Pin has a built-in speaker dubbed “personic speaker” that can “create a personally optimized bubble of sound” using a Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF). Users can also pair the device with Bluetooth headphones and enjoy an AI-powered music experience thanks to Humane’s partnership with the streaming service Tidal.
Other Pin features include a camera, voice-to-text function, language interpreter, and fitness and nutritional guide.
To further support its independence, Humane developed the Humane.center, a website through which users can manage settings, customize the device, and access notes, photos and videos they made with the Ai Pin.
The AI gadget has divided tech enthusiasts. While some believe it marks a new era for wearable technology, others compare it to an overpriced pager. However, Humane’s CEO Bethany Bongiorno is confident the Ai Pin has a mass appeal.
