Humane’s $699 Ai Pin is available now

Humane today announced the availability of its first product, Ai Pin. The Bay Area-based hardware startup has been thriving since 2017, a year after co-founders Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri left Apple. Since then, the company has been well-funded to the tune of $230 million and focused on building standalone AI devices.

The Ai Pin is the first in a long line of devices that Humane says will aim to leverage the power and popularity of generative artificial intelligence platforms such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. The system relies on a number of different LLM-based systems, using what it considers to be the best platform for each individual task.

TechCrunch spoke with Bongiorno and Chaudhri about the company’s history and future plans. We also took one of the devices for practical testing. The Humane Ai Pin is still a first-generation product in many respects, including reliability and functionality, but the hardware has a great attention to detail that betrays the origins of its founders.

Humane’s vision for the $699 device is that new technology can break free from the limitations of its predecessors. Specifically, this means a voice-based, always-connected device that can help users look up from their phone screens from time to time.

In our recent conversation, Bongiorno described the experience that set the co-founders on the path that ultimately led to the pin. “We went to this dinner and there was a family sitting next to us,” she noted. “There were three kids, mom and dad, who were on their phones all the time. This really started a conversation about the amazing tool we had built, but also some of the side effects.

Ai Pin is the first in a long line of products using generative artificial intelligence. Back in January at CES, Rabbit turned heads with its R1 handheld. The following month at MWC, Brain.AI unveiled its vision for a phone using generative artificial intelligence at the core of its innovative operating system. The field is already proving to be a mixed bag amid broader problems with smartphone sales.

At the Humane entry point for $699, you’ll get the Ai Pin, an extra battery, and an AI charging case. Prices for the various color options start at $799. Various accessories are available, priced from $29 to $49, and the mandatory subscription service will cost $24 per month. As a sign of good faith, Humane adds three free months with the purchase of a pin.