Tech company Humane finally showed off their first device and I'm afraid that it may not sell well. Humane's AI Pin is a small screenless device that's meant to be worn on your shirt or jacket. It's basically a ChatGPT AI assistant that you wear on your chest.
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What the AI Pin primarily does is connect to AI models through Humane's AI Mic software. In particular, the pin seems to be powered by ChatGPT-4. It also has an operating system called Cosmos that routes users voice requests and supports a variety of features, including voice-based messaging, holding up food to the camera to get nutritional information, real-time translation, and email summarization. While the device does not currently have apps, Humane told Wired that they plan to provide developers with ways to build their own tools.
In addition to the AI Pin's voice based features, it also features a green laser projector, that can project information on your hand, and sort of makes up for the device's lack of a screen. These features seem to make sense in an AI Wearable device, but I can't help but wonder, wouldn't most of these features work better in a smartwatch. A smartwatch could have been developed with many if not all the same features as the AI Pin.
Humane's AI Pin is an interesting device, but I'm afraid this device may not be successful and could possibly portend the end of artificial intelligence dedicated Wearable Devices. Really, the reason I think this could happen is due to the AI Pin appearing to have no particular use case. It seems to not really be fulfilling any particular need and is quite expensive. If someone needs a wearable device why not go with an Apple Watch, which by the way is cheaper than the AI Pin which starts at $699.
A device costing $699 in 2023 that does not come with a screen at all is sort of absurd. You could get a phone for this price that would undoubtedly have more features and would be much more functional. It's hard to see what Humane was thinking with this device. But it really seems like Humane does not have any particular customer in mind when it comes to the company's AI Pin. I'm sure there's some people that would love to buy a screenless ChatGPT-4 assistant that you clip to your shirt, but who?
Not fulfilling any particular need and not having any specific customer in mind are major issues. And it makes it seem like Humane is just throwing this product out to see what happens. That's fine. But it may set a bad precedent for future AI wearable technology, leaving many people disinterested in dedicated AI wearable devices.
Written by Wes Cooper
2023-11-17
