Humane, a San Francisco-based AI startup founded by ex-Apple executives, has unveiled its first product – the Ai Pin. This gadget is a pin that can be hooked onto your clothing and worn all day.
Ai Pin, an AI-powered projector
The Ai Pin is a wearable projector with the ability to capture photos with an ultrawide RGB camera, send text messages and emails, and answer your most curious questions thanks to its ChatGPT-like capabilities. It operates on AI models from both OpenAI and Microsoft. It takes 13 MP photos and sends texts as well. The accessory is powered by a Snapdragon SoC but the exact processor is not revealed.
Similar to other wearables such as wireless earbuds and smartwatches, the Ai Pin is designed to be a casual, everyday accessory. Despite its compact, all-aluminum appearance, it’s not as lightweight as it looks. Weighing about 55 grams, which is equivalent to a tennis ball, it needs a magnetic battery pack to stay attached to your shirt. For bulkier clothing options, Humane offers a separate clip-on accessory for sale.
The Ai Pin is available in three colours – Eclipse, Equinox, and Lunar. It weighs 34 grams and features a battery booster accessory, which adds an extra 20 grams. You can easily swap multiple boosters as they magnetically connect to the Ai Pin and wirelessly charge it.
The Cosmos OS
Upon receiving a physical tap on the device, the Ai Pin can project a Laser Ink Display onto your palm. You can control the operating system called Cosmos by tilting or rolling your hand forward or backward. To select items on the projected display, use a pinch gesture with your index and thumb fingers. Making a closed fist will bring you back to the home screen.
The Ai pin offers a central experience with various AI tools, similar to third-party ChatGPT plugins. It automatically selects the most suitable AI tool when you provide a prompt, eliminating the need to manually search for and download specific apps on your phone. This streamlined process saves time compared to the traditional method of finding, downloading, and learning how to use apps.
You need to dictate rather than type texts and trade a camera that zooms for wide-angle photos. Features such as object recognition and videos will not be available for you initially. You need to be patient to learn the new operating system to use the AI-powered projector.
How much will it cost?
Humane’s Ai Pin costs $699 for the device and two battery boosters. Also, it comes with a $24 per month subscription that gives it a phone number and data coverage through the US carrier T-Mobile. The Ai Pin will ship early next year and pre-orders start on November 16. Humane will begin shipping the pins next year and expects to sell around 100,000 pins.
Founded by husband-wife duo
Humane was founded by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, former executives of Apple’s design and engineering teams. Humane aims for a future where people rely less on screens. They first crossed paths at Apple in 2008 when Chaudhri was developing the human interface for iPhones, and Bongiorno was a program manager for iPhone and iPad. They worked together until leaving Apple in late 2016.
Already, Humane raised a whopping $100 million in Series C funding. The round was led by notable investors, including Kindred Ventures known for backing Lottie and Dexory, SK Networks, LG Technology Ventures, Microsoft, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, Tiger Global, Qualcomm Ventures, and OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman who recently invested in Induced AI. To date, the company has raised a total of $240 million in funding.
