Humane’s Ai Pin, priced at $699, is now accessible for purchase

Humane has unveiled its inaugural product, the Ai Pin, marking the debut of the Bay Area-based hardware startup. Founded in 2017 by Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, a year after departing Apple, the company has secured substantial funding amounting to $230 million. Humane has been dedicated to developing standalone AI devices.

The Ai Pin is the first in a series of devices Humane aims to introduce, leveraging the capabilities and popularity of generative AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. The system employs various LLM-based systems, selecting the most suitable platform for each specific task.

In a discussion with TechCrunch, Bongiorno and Chaudhri delved into Humane’s journey and future endeavors. Despite being a first-generation product with areas for improvement in reliability and functionality, the Humane Ai Pin demonstrates meticulous attention to detail, reflecting the founders’ Apple roots.

Priced at $699, Humane envisions the device as a departure from the limitations of existing technologies, offering a voice-activated, always-connected solution to encourage users to disengage from their smartphone screens periodically.

Bongiorno recounted an impactful experience that motivated the co-founders to develop the Ai Pin: “We had gone to this dinner, and there was a family sitting next to us. There were three kids and a mom and dad, and they were on their phones the entire time. It really started a conversation about the incredible tool we built, but also some of the side effects.”

The Ai Pin represents just the beginning of Humane’s product lineup, tapping into the potential of generative AI technology. The broader landscape already includes noteworthy entries like Rabbit’s R1 handheld showcased at CES and Brain.AI’s vision of a handset with a generative AI-based operating system unveiled at MWC.

With a starting price of $699, the Ai Pin includes an extra battery and an AI charging case, with color options available starting at $799. Various accessories are offered between $29 and $49, accompanied by a subscription service priced at $24 per month. As a gesture of goodwill, Humane offers three free months with the purchase of a pin.