This week, Humane officially launched Ai Pin, an innovative, screenless wearable which provides users with an AI assistant. The firm is releasing the Ai Pin product on November 16, clocking in at a $699 starting price.
Ai Pin is notable for providing a conversational AI system without a screen. Instead, the device leverages laser ink displays and a small touchpad for interaction and information display.
Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, the Co-Founders of Humane, in a co-statement, explained how the Ai Pin device is the “embodiment” of the firm’s vision of integrating AI into daily life, “enhancing our capabilities without overshadowing our humanity,” they remarked.
The Co-Founders also added:
We are proud to finally unveil what we and the team at Humane have been working on for the past four years. For us, Ai Pin is just the beginning.
Bringing AI into Everyday Life
Alongside firms like Microsoft and Meta, Humane also believes that AI will play a crucial role in streamlining daily tasks and acquiring users with situational information.
With Humane’s streamlined design of the Ai Pin interface, the firm is seemingly creating a product to simplify computing and communication, moving away from physical screens – a trend mirrored by smart glasses and Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
However, Ai Pin presents an alternative to mainstream leaps in personal computing. Ai Pin’s unique approach offers an incredibly lightweight and noninvasive wearable that can be worn for long periods of time or during a lengthy shift.
The innovative device leverages is seemless human-AI interaction for a variety of enterprise use cases.
Notably, Ai Pin comes with a microphone for voice input. Based on the integrated technology, Ai Pin can solve various tasks or help with others, such as crafting messages that match a user’s tone of voice and the device’s “Catch up Me” sorts through emails. Ai Pin can also interpret different languages, take pictures, and – via a direct partnership with Humane – use TIDAL streaming services.
To power its AI systems, Huamane works directly with OpenAI, the firm developing ChatGPT, and Microsoft to provide a growing list of use cases for Ai Pin.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, noted:
We believe in a future where artificial intelligence amplifies human potential, and Humane shares this vision. We’re proud to be partnering with them to harness AI and redefine how we interact with technology — and the world.
Moreover, Eric Boyd, the CVP of AI Platform at Microsoft, explained that the collaboration on Ai Pin “embodies Azure’s dedication to empowering transformative ideas,” with Boyd adding that the approaches from each firm “aligns perfectly” with Microsoft’s ongoing mission to “enable and support game-changing solutions.”
Ai Pin: Under the Bonnet
To power Ai Pin, Humane developed the in-house Cosmos operating system (OS) that streamlines AI interactions further by removing the need to download, manage, or launch applications.
The firm is selling the product in various colours. The wireless device is also incredibly lightweight at a tiny 34.2 grams. Additionally, the device is standalone, meaning it does not need to connect to a separate computing device.
Moreover, Humane is partnering with Qualcomm to leverage its Snapdragon processor with a dedicated Qualcomm AI Engine to strengthen Ai Pin’s computing power in a shared mission to AI to users “everywhere through intelligent, superior computing,” noted Jeffrey Torrance, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Connected Smart Systems Qualcomm Technologies – The device also houses an RGB camera, personic speaker, 4GB RAM, 32GB of storage.
New Interaction Methods?
Ai Pin leverages Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, and Humane is also launching its custom MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) to support its standalone computing power.
Humane designed MVNO alongside its exclusive U.S. partner, T-Mobile, to provide a reliable processing and communication framework – ready for the enterprise.
John Saw, EVP and Chief Technology Officer, T-Mobile, said:
At T-Mobile, we work to be the best in the world at connecting customers to their world, and this Ai Pin is a huge step towards a more connected, AI-informed future. We are thrilled that our network is enabling this new Ai-first experience that Humane is building.
The touchpad understands the user’s gestures, turning inputs into laser optic-based information or an AI assistant request. The touchpad understands a range of different touchpad gestures that provide a user with various inputs, such as a one-finger tap and hold for microphone input or a two-finger double tap to take a photo.
Similar to a pager, the device also beeps a light, with the colour indicating a different type of alert from an email to a photo.
The Ai Pin device appears to have an incredibly strong footing. Between leveraging a series of high-level partnerships and technology, Humane may be able to debut a device that introduces a new method of communication amidst a wave of emerging workplace devices.
