In the bustling heart of San Francisco's SoMa district, within the confines of a former equine stable, a novel innovation is taking shape. Emerging from the minds of the dynamic duo behind the startup Humane, a collection of small, blinking devices called the Ai Pin is making waves. Pinned to the chests of the startup's employees, these devices are poised to challenge the ubiquitous screens that dominate our lives, particularly those crafted by the hands of their former employer, Apple.
The Ai Pin, after five years of development, a staggering $240 million in funding, the acquisition of 25 patents, and strategic partnerships with tech giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Salesforce, is on the cusp of being unleashed upon the world. The grand mission of Humane? To liberate the Earth from the clutches of smartphone addiction, using more technology as the antidote.
Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, the visionary husband-and-wife founders of Humane, envision a future where our dependency on traditional screens takes a backseat. Their proposition is the Ai Pin, touted as the first artificially intelligent device. This wearable gadget can be controlled through voice commands, taps on a touchpad, or even by projecting a laser display onto the hand. In an instant, the device's virtual assistant can send a text, play a song, take a photo, make a call, or even translate a conversation in real-time. The Ai Pin leverages AI to answer questions and summarize messages with simple commands like "Catch me up."
This cutting-edge technology represents a significant leap beyond virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Unlike its predecessors, the Ai Pin can seamlessly follow a conversation from one query to the next without requiring explicit context. It excels at editing dictated messages, avoiding the need for users to repeat entire phrases to correct errors. The device also introduces a unique feature reminiscent of Star Trek badges, offering a glimpse into the potential of future wearable AI technology.
The Ai Pin isn't just a gimmick; it can make phone calls and provide wearers with a concise summary of their communications. Humane aims to prevent users from being constantly tethered to screens, offering a solution to the pervasive issue of smartphone addiction.
Despite the promise of this innovation, there's a palpable tension at Humane as they approach the pivotal moment of releasing the Ai Pin to the world. The tech industry is littered with the graves of failed wearable products, and Humane is gearing up to ship the pins next year. The startup anticipates selling about 100,000 units in the first year, each priced at $699 with an additional $24 monthly subscription. For context, Apple sold 381,000 iPods in the first year following its 2001 launch.
The success of Humane's venture hinges on users adapting to a new operating system, Cosmos, and being open to obtaining new phone numbers associated with the Ai Pin (which comes with its wireless plan). Users must also be willing to embrace dictation over typing and adjust to the device's limitations, such as initial unavailability of features like object recognition and videos. Additionally, the Ai Pin might face occasional glitches, as reported during some of the company's demos.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, sees AI as a significant component in reshaping human-computer interactions. He has invested in Humane and another AI company, Rewind AI, which plans to create a necklace documenting users' speech. Altman has also explored collaboration with Jony Ive, Apple's former chief designer, to develop an AI device with goals similar to those of Humane.
Being the first to enter the market with an AI-focused wearable device gives Humane a strategic advantage, but Altman acknowledges that success is not guaranteed. Ultimately, it will be up to consumers to decide if the Ai Pin is a step too far or a transformative leap in technology.
Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, with their contrasting personalities and backgrounds, first crossed paths at Apple in 2008. Chaudhri, the interface designer behind the swipes and drags that defined iPhones, collaborated with Bongiorno, a plan administrator for the iPhone and iPad, until both departed from Apple in late 2016. Their journey to Humane began when a Buddhist monk named Brother Spirit introduced them to the idea of developing AI products, including the Ai Pin, and recommended sharing these concepts with Marc Benioff, the founder of Salesforce.
During a meeting at Benioff's Hawaiian residence in 2018, Chaudhri and Bongiorno presented their ideas for the Ai Pin, receiving enthusiastic approval from Benioff, who envisioned its tremendous potential.
Humane's mission was clear: to replicate the utility of the iPhone without succumbing to the addictive elements that have become synonymous with smartphone usage. They experimented with hardware components, developed a virtual assistant inspired by Siri and Alexa, and miniaturized the sci-fi-like laser projector, which now projects text onto a surface.
While adopting certain aspects of Apple's secretive business culture, Humane departed from its rigid nature by encouraging collaboration, idea exploration, and open dialogue among employees. Former Apple executive José Benitez Cong joined Humane, driven by a desire for redemption after witnessing the societal impact of the iPhone. This shift allowed him to contribute to a project that aimed to mitigate the negative effects of smartphone addiction.
As the Ai Pin neared its release, a sense of anticipation filled the Humane office. The team meticulously evaluated the device's auditory elements, including chirps and beeps crucial to its "personic" talker, which relies on verbal and audio cues for various features. The sounds were designed to provide a physical and emotional connection, with positive feedback for successful interactions and, conversely, an ominous whoosh for sending a text message.
Despite the whoosh sound being met with skepticism, Humane remained committed to transparency. The Ai Pins feature a "trust light" that blinks when the device is recording, emphasizing the company's commitment to user privacy. Humane assured users that it doesn't share personal data with third parties or use it for AI model training.
In the months leading up to the Ai Pin's introduction, Humane stoked anticipation with strategic reveals. In April, Imran Chaudhri showcased the device's laser projector in a TED Talk. While some accused him of faking the demo, Chaudhri affirmed its authenticity. In September, supermodel Naomi Campbell wore the inconspicuous Ai Pin during Paris Fashion Week, emphasizing the device's potential integration into everyday life.
Humane's supporters draw parallels to the early skepticism surrounding the first iPod, which eventually laid the foundation for the smartphone revolution. The company envisions an entire ecosystem of companies developing features for its operating system, creating an AI-centric version of Apple's App Store.
In a demo showcasing a forthcoming feature, a program developer queried the Ai Pin about the sweetener content in a cookie. The virtual assistant struggled to provide an accurate answer, prompting Chaudhri to acknowledge the difficulty in distinguishing between a candy bar and an oatmeal raisin cookie. This exchange underscores the ongoing challenges in refining the Ai Pin's capabilities.
Humane's ambition to disrupt the smartphone landscape is audacious, imaginative, and somewhat irrational – characteristic of the Silicon Valley ethos that critics argue has veered into frivolity in recent years with endeavors like selfie apps and robot pizza trucks.
However, even after months of wearing the Ai Pins daily