In 2023, Humane announced an artificial intelligence gadget called Ai Pin. It is attached to clothing and acts as a smart device without a screen, and a small projector is used to display information. This device was supposed to be an alternative to smartphones.
But it didn’t work out as expected. This week, Humane announced that most of its assets were acquired by HP for $116 million. At the same time, the startup immediately stops selling its $499 AI assistant Pin. Humane also notified customers that their devices will stop working by the end of the month — the exact date is February 28, 2025 at 22:00 Kyiv time.
After this date, AI Pin will no longer be able to connect to Humane’s servers. This means that the device will lose all of its functions, including calls, messaging, queries to AI, and access to cloud services. The company advises owners to immediately transfer all important photos and data to an external storage device, as support for the device is completely discontinued.
Humane plans to disband its support team on February 28. Customers who purchased AI Pin within the last 90 days can receive a refund. However, those who bought the device earlier are not eligible for a refund. The refund request must be submitted no later than February 27.
Humane made a big splash in April 2024 when it launched AI Pin, a wearable device positioned as an alternative to a smartphone. The Silicon Valley-based startup founded by former Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhry raised more than $230 million in investment to create the device.
However, AI Pin disappointed first users and reviewerswhich was a serious blow to the company. In the summer of 2024, Humane received more returns than sales. The situation was further aggravated by the scandal with the dangerous charging case, which the company recommended to stop using immediately due to the risk of fire. In October, Humane reduced the price of AI Pin from $699 to $499 in an attempt to save sales.
According to Bloomberg, in May 2024, having received 10 thousand orders, Humane tried to find a buyer at a price of $750 million to $1 billion, but failed to receive such an offer. Now, HP has acquired most of the company’s assets for $116 million.
HP is interested in Humane’s team of engineers and product managers. These specialists will form the basis of the new HP IQ division — an artificial intelligence laboratory that will work on integrating AI into HP products. In addition, HP will receive some of Humane’s technologies, including the CosmOS AI operating system. Earlier, Humane demonstrated CosmOS as a platform capable of running in automotive systems, smart speakers, TVs, and even Android smartphones. HP is likely to use these developments to implement AI in its laptops, computers, and printers.
It seems that Humane has been facing problems for a long time. Even before the launch of AI Pin the company was forced to lay off staff.
Source: techcrunch
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