AI Pin Terminates Services
Humane, the startup behind the wearable device AI Pin, announced the sale of the majority of its shares to PC giant HP for $116 million. The AI Pin will no longer support features such as voice calls, messaging, and AI queries.
Initially regarded as the most revolutionary product following the iPhone, the AI Pin faced a series of negative reviews after its launch in 2024, ultimately leading Humane to the fate of being acquired.
Image / Humane X
HP will acquire Humane’s employees, software platform, and over 300 patents, excluding hardware-related businesses. Humane founders and former Apple designers Imran Chaudhri and engineer Bethany Bongiorno will also join HP, with the acquisition procedure expected to be completed by the end of February.
Humane Founders Join HP to Establish New Team Integrating AI and Devices
According to Bloomberg, after joining HP, Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno will establish a new team called “HP IQ,” which will serve as HP’s new AI innovation lab. This lab will integrate AI technology with HP’s PCs, printers, and other products, creating a new AI ecosystem. In recent months, Humane has gradually shifted its focus from AI Pin hardware to the software platform CosmOS developed for application devices. Originally designed for AI Pin, the operating system CosmOS has been transformed into a software platform that other manufacturers can also implement in their products. HP may strengthen the AI capabilities of its various products based on this technological foundation. HP emphasizes that executing some generative AI functions on the device side is more cost-effective, secure, and faster compared to relying solely on cloud computing, and stresses that AI will be ubiquitous, integrated into all devices to effectively assist users in enhancing productivity.
Return Rates Surpass Sales; AI Pin Services to Cease on February 28
The AI Pin was initially positioned as a smartphone replacement, boasting no screen and the ability to conduct voice calls, send messages, and perform AI Q&A through voice and gestures, including projecting a keyboard in the palm of the hand. This attracted investments from OpenAI and Microsoft, leading to the perception of AI Pin as a revolutionary personal device prior to its market launch.
Image / Humane Official Website
In April 2024, the AI Pin was officially launched at a price of $699 (approximately NT$22,000) with a monthly subscription fee of $24, but it quickly drew a significant amount of negative feedback due to poor experiences with projection and gesture sensing. Humane even requested users to stop using the original chargers to prevent potential battery fires. According to The Verge, in August 2024, the daily return rate for AI Pin even surpassed its sales figures, prompting Humane to reduce the price to $200 (approximately NT$6,550) in October. The Verge described the AI Pin’s functionality as “the worst product reviewed.”
Humane’s website states that some offline features of the AI Pin, such as battery level display, will still be usable; however, all functions that rely on cloud connectivity will cease to operate. Starting February 28, the AI Pin will no longer connect to Humane’s servers, stopping support for calls, messages, and any cloud-related services. The cloud platform for data storage, Center, will also be shut down. Humane advises users to sync and download photos, videos, and notes stored on the device through Wi-Fi before this date, as otherwise, the data will be permanently deleted.
Further Reading: What is AI Pin? Will it Disrupt the iPhone? Why Have Major Players Like OpenAI and Microsoft Invested?
Editor: Li Xiantai
This article is co-published from: Digital Times