Humane’s AI Pin was intended to give users the experience of using devices and artificial intelligence in a whole new way. However, the small box, which magnetically attaches to clothing and is controlled by voice, is apparently heading into increasingly difficult waters. According to alleged internal papers, more devices have been returned in recent months than sold.
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Current developments are causing more and more turbulence in the company and personnel changes in management positions, US IT news site The Verge reports. The AI Pin, published in April, was launched to great acclaim. According to media reports, well-known Silicon Valley executives, including OpenAI boss Sam Altman, invested a total of about $200 million in the start-up. Humane was founded by former Apple designers Imran Chaudhry and Bethany Biongiorno.
Old devices cannot be reused
According to data available to The Verge, Humane has so far been able to distribute only 10,000 pins instead of the expected 100,000 devices in the first year. Company spokespeople did not want to comment on this in detail and only spoke of “inaccuracies”. According to The Verge, the high return rate has a particularly negative effect because Humane cannot reuse returned devices. This concerns the American mobile communications partner T-Mobile. Apparently the cellular module of the device cannot be reset to continue using it with a new user. None of the people involved wanted to comment on this.
The AI Pin, which costs about $700, received mostly scathing reviews. Reviewers mainly complained that the device ChatGPT uses does not work reliably and often takes a long time to answer queries. According to media reports, Humane is now in talks about raising external capital. A sale to HP is also being discussed. There were also several reshuffles in the management team.
(MKI)
