Humane, the much-anticipated startup led by former Apple executives, has unveiled the name for its elusive AI-enabled wearable device – the Humane Ai Pin. The compact device, glimpsed discreetly in an executive’s front pocket earlier this year, was officially introduced by Humane, Inc. in July 2023 as its inaugural product. The Humane Ai Pin is a standalone wearable with an AI-driven software platform, promising an innovative personal computing experience for users.
Imran Chaudhri, Humane’s co-founder, provided insights into the device during a Ted Talk titled “The disappearing computer – and a world where you can take AI everywhere.” Although he didn’t delve into its full capabilities, Chaudhri shared the company’s vision, emphasizing that the Humane Ai Pin interacts with the world as the user does while prioritizing privacy and seamlessly integrating into daily life.
Collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies, Humane’s Ai Pin is powered by an advanced Snapdragon platform. Dev Singh, Vice President of Business Development at Qualcomm Technologies, expressed pride in this collaboration, highlighting the device’s revolutionary form factor and powerful performance, anticipating an exciting user experience.
The Humane Ai Pin stands out as a screenless, standalone device and software platform tailored for AI. Equipped with various sensors for natural and intuitive interactions, it is designed to seamlessly blend into the user’s life without requiring pairing with a smartphone. While specific capabilities remain undisclosed, the device is known to perform functions such as AI-powered optical recognition, hands-free phone calls with projected details, and real-time language translation in the user’s voice. Chaudhri also showcased a “catch me up” feature during the Ted Talk, summarizing news and information for the user.
Humane, founded in 2017 by the husband-wife duo Chaudhri and Bongiorno, both former Apple executives, has been shrouded in secrecy until a recent demo shed light on its ambitious project. Despite the mystery surrounding its work, Humane has attracted substantial investment, with a recent $100 million funding round, including contributions from Microsoft and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. Combined with earlier rounds, Humane’s total reported investments approach $130 million, elevating its estimated worth to nearly half a billion dollars, even before the release of a product.
