Controversial Humane Ai Pin is here, costs $700, and requires a subscription

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in General Discussion

Humane hopes to buck the "Glasshole" status for wearable cameras with its $700 Ai Pin.

Humane Ai Pin
Humane Ai Pin



In a world where people are addicted to their screens, companies like Humane have been working to try and subvert that. The company imagines a world where people can have conversations with an artificially intelligent assistant they wear on their clothes rather than stare into a screen scrolling TikTok.

The Ai Pin is worn on a person's shirt and is controlled via taps. After being activated, voice commands and other gestures can activate features, like taking a photo or recording a voice.

Any time the microphone or camera is in use, a "trust light" is turned on for people to see. It is meant to ensure privacy as a tentpole feature of the pin.

The device isn't always listening or recording. A double tap will take a 13MP photo while a double tap with a hold will take a video, at least after a software update in 2024.

A built-in laser projector offers limited access to images or text at 720p. The projector shows information on an outstretched hand in front of the Ai Pin, which is meant to replace the need for a smartphone.



Humane's Ai Pin operates completely independently of any other device. It has its own cellular connection that is included in the $24 per month Humane subscription.

Speaking to the Ai Pin will activate the Pin's assistant, Ai Mic. It is powered by large language models like ChatGPT.

Ai Pin runs Google's Android operating system, comes with a phone number, and can perform tasks like making a call or eventually, order something online. Customers can extend the devices use throughout the day by swapping out battery packs, which charge wirelessly.

Humane is a company filled with ex-Apple personnel, including the CEO and founder Bethany Bongiorno. Her husband, Imran Chaudhri and the company's head of product engineering, Ken Kocienda are both former Apple employees as well.

Charge the Ai Pin in its case
Charge the Ai Pin in its case



The company considers devices like smartphones or wearables like AR glasses to be intrusive to human behavior. The Ai Pin is meant to solve that by getting out of the way, and out of the user's hands.

Humane's Ai Pin costs $699 and can be ordered from the Humane website starting November 16. It requires a monthly subscription for unlimited calling, texting, and data through T-Mobile, which costs $24 per month.

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Calamander
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 41
    InspiredCodeInspiredCode Posts: 405member
    That green display projected on your palm reminds me of a 90s era Palm Pilot. Text rendering looks very Palm Pilot like too. They literally made the Palm Pilot your palm. 
    edited November 2023 darkvaderwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 41
    comcastsuckscomcastsucks Posts: 72member
    "Any time the microphone or camera is in use, a "trust light" is turned on for people to see"

    How long until someone figures out how to turn     that off?

    williamlondonwilliamhbyronlmagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 41
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,605member
    comcastsucks said:
    "Any time the microphone or camera is in use, a "trust light" is turned on for people to see"

    How long until someone figures out how to turn that off?

    Evil people do what evil people do. Up-skirt iPhone photos happen too. 
    ronnbyronl
  • Reply 4 of 41
    XedXed Posts: 2,823member
    The idiots make a very foolish error in their marketing video. They have the solar eclipse info all wrong.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 41
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,060member
    His passcode was 2001 — the film known for its murderous AI. lol
    ihatescreennameswilliamlondonbyronlroakeauxiowatto_cobraargonautjony0
  • Reply 6 of 41
    XedXed Posts: 2,823member
    And it's about 50-60 almonds for 15 grams of protein. He's holding a dozen.

    This is the most advance and high-tech snake oil I've ever seen.
    williamlondonOctoMonkeymagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 41
    sflagelsflagel Posts: 855member
    So it’s like a Smartwatch but with a camera, but without the watch. 
    StrangeDaysdarkvaderwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 41
    bulk001bulk001 Posts: 780member
    Seems some think it threatening enough to bash it.  I find it fascinating and love that a company is exploring new ideas. It is a lot more functional than strapping a great big mask on your face as Meta and Apple are convinced we all want to. Got my Apple Watch on v7 and don’t find it all that great so I will reserve judgement on apples AR and on this and see what v8 or 9 has to offer. 
    williamlondonsflagelgatorguybyronlAI_liasCelticPaddyroakeargonautjony0
  • Reply 9 of 41
    XedXed Posts: 2,823member
    bulk001 said:
    Seems some think it threatening enough to bash it.  I find it fascinating and love that a company is exploring new ideas. It is a lot more functional than strapping a great big mask on your face as Meta and Apple are convinced we all want to. Got my Apple Watch on v7 and don’t find it all that great so I will reserve judgement on apples AR and on this and see what v8 or 9 has to offer. 
    1) Bashing a company for many egregious mistakes in an area they're marketing is being threatened by it.

    2) Your comparisons to AR/VR and the Apple Watch aren't making sense to me. Humane's product does cover some of the functionality of an Apple Watch, but not much of it, and even less when it comes to anything AR/VR related. But none of that is relevant. Instead let's focus on Humane thinking that their device will replace smartphones. I see a million reasons why that won't happen. If you have an argument as to why that will happen I'd like to hear it.
    StrangeDaysdarkvaderwatto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 10 of 41
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,060member
    bulk001 said:
    Seems some think it threatening enough to bash it.  I find it fascinating and love that a company is exploring new ideas. It is a lot more functional than strapping a great big mask on your face as Meta and Apple are convinced we all want to. Got my Apple Watch on v7 and don’t find it all that great so I will reserve judgement on apples AR and on this and see what v8 or 9 has to offer. 
    Nah we can bash half-baked ideas at will without being threatened by them. 

    If you believe a clip-on device is the same use case as a VR spacial computing product, you have a poor idea of the use case. 

    But hey if you want to give up your screen so you can issue voice commands all day, be my guest. Just don’t try to load a subway map. Or manage your wifi network. Or modify a worksheet. Or…
    edited November 2023 ronnravnorodomdarkvaderwatto_cobraargonautjony0
  • Reply 11 of 41
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,605member
    StrangeDays said:
    bulk001 said:
    Seems some think it threatening enough to bash it.  I find it fascinating and love that a company is exploring new ideas. It is a lot more functional than strapping a great big mask on your face as Meta and Apple are convinced we all want to. Got my Apple Watch on v7 and don’t find it all that great so I will reserve judgement on apples AR and on this and see what v8 or 9 has to offer. 
    Nah we can bash half-baked ideas at will without being threatened by them. 

    If you believe a clip-on device is the same use case as a VR spacial computing product, you have a poor idea of the use case. 

    But hey if you want to give up your screen so you can issue voice commands all day, be my guest. Just don’t try to load a subway map. Or manage your wifi network. Or modify a worksheet. Or…
    One wouldn't make the other useless.

    I'd guess there would be some potential buyers who might find both devices of value to them. I don't think anyone is going to walk into the grocery store wearing a Vision Pro, or drive to work or go to class or have dinner at a restaurant with one on your face. It depends on where you are and what you're doing as to which might be appropriate while the other is not. 
    ronnbyronlFileMakerFellerjony0
  • Reply 12 of 41
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 4,015member
    Marketplace will decide. Significant creep factor to me. Saw my first guy fiddling with Google glasses of some sort recently while waiting for a plane. Looked both creepy and ridiculous. Maybe with time . . .
    ravnorodomwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 41
    PunultimatePunultimate Posts: 9member
    Looks awkward to wear and interact with.
    Also they need to spend some money on marketing; a stilted demo in an echo filled room with lackluster record and no background music is not a great introduction to a new product.
    Interesting ideas with the hand projection and interaction but 100% a skip for me.
    darkvaderwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 41
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 3,035member
    This looks promising. Wish I had it days ago. Just got back from a trip to Taiwan and could have used this. My mandarin is terrible. Lol 
    Calamanderbyronlronnjony0
  • Reply 15 of 41
    leighrleighr Posts: 256member
    comcastsucks said:
    "Any time the microphone or camera is in use, a "trust light" is turned on for people to see"

    How long until someone figures out how to turn that off?

    Or puts a bit of black tape over the light. Low-tech hack FTW. 
    StrangeDaysdarkvaderwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 41
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,267member
    No doubt it has some interesting ideas that might find a way to a commercial product of some kind. But $25 a month after ponying up $700?
    also magnets and pacemakers would be a no. Not that the pacemaker demographic would be interested I suppose. Overall though I would say with the advent of the iPhone and smartwatches this thing is about two decades too late. It is not markedly better than either of those products.

    anyway, some wag over at mcrumors some wag suggested a version as a parrot that sits on your shoulder might sell better.

    and finally, WWSJS?
    darkvaderwatto_cobradewmeargonaut
  • Reply 17 of 41
    NYC362NYC362 Posts: 97member
    Someone has been watching a bit too much Star Trek.

    Seriously, from a purely tech standpoint, some relatively impressive stuff, but ridiculously expensive and truly not ready for prime time. 
    sflagelwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 41
    sflagelsflagel Posts: 855member
    I would venture that the wrist is a better place for such a device than on a jumper, for various reasons. But besides that, their premise of a post-App world is truly exciting. Apps/algorithms would obviously still exist, but AI acts a consolidation layer, and it could mean that all apps were always available to all users, and the AI decides what to use for which purpose. Interesting, at least.
    gatorguyCalamanderbyronlAI_liaswatto_cobraFileMakerFellerjony0
  • Reply 19 of 41
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,060member
    gatorguy said:
    bulk001 said:
    Seems some think it threatening enough to bash it.  I find it fascinating and love that a company is exploring new ideas. It is a lot more functional than strapping a great big mask on your face as Meta and Apple are convinced we all want to. Got my Apple Watch on v7 and don’t find it all that great so I will reserve judgement on apples AR and on this and see what v8 or 9 has to offer. 
    Nah we can bash half-baked ideas at will without being threatened by them. 

    If you believe a clip-on device is the same use case as a VR spacial computing product, you have a poor idea of the use case. 

    But hey if you want to give up your screen so you can issue voice commands all day, be my guest. Just don’t try to load a subway map. Or manage your wifi network. Or modify a worksheet. Or…
    One wouldn't make the other useless.

    I'd guess there would be some potential buyers who might find both devices of value to them. I don't think anyone is going to walk into the grocery store wearing a Vision Pro, or drive to work or go to class or have dinner at a restaurant with one on your face. It depends on where you are and what you're doing as to which might be appropriate while the other is not. 
    You’re confused - I didn’t suggest the clip-on and VR spatial are the same use cases, bullk001 did. They are not. 

    I did say I wouldn’t give up my (mobile) screen for a clip-on, as is the suggestion by Humane, because you can’t do all the things one does with a screen, which are so incredibly useful use cases that I bash the idea this clip-on can replace mobile screens. 
    edited November 2023 williamlondonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 20 of 41
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,605member
    gatorguy said:
    bulk001 said:
    Seems some think it threatening enough to bash it.  I find it fascinating and love that a company is exploring new ideas. It is a lot more functional than strapping a great big mask on your face as Meta and Apple are convinced we all want to. Got my Apple Watch on v7 and don’t find it all that great so I will reserve judgement on apples AR and on this and see what v8 or 9 has to offer. 
    Nah we can bash half-baked ideas at will without being threatened by them. 

    If you believe a clip-on device is the same use case as a VR spacial computing product, you have a poor idea of the use case. 

    But hey if you want to give up your screen so you can issue voice commands all day, be my guest. Just don’t try to load a subway map. Or manage your wifi network. Or modify a worksheet. Or…
    One wouldn't make the other useless.

    I'd guess there would be some potential buyers who might find both devices of value to them. I don't think anyone is going to walk into the grocery store wearing a Vision Pro, or drive to work or go to class or have dinner at a restaurant with one on your face. It depends on where you are and what you're doing as to which might be appropriate while the other is not. 
    You’re confused - I didn’t suggest the clip-on and VR spatial are the same use cases, bullk001 did. They are not. 

    I did say I wouldn’t give up my (phone) screen for a clip-on, as is the suggestion by Humane, because you can’t do all the things one does with a screen. 
    I agree with that.  I wouldn't either.

    But if/when the gen2 version ships it might be something worth considering even if I couldn't ditch my phone yet. A lot depends on how dedicated and creative the developers are.
    edited November 2023
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