Humane, a start-up founded by ex-Apple executives, has just debuted its Ai pin at Paris Fashion Week. During the Coperni Spring 2024 runway presentation, the Humane Ai pin could be seen pinned on the clothes of multiple models. Other than seeing it in its entirety, the new and first AI pin has left us with more questions than answers.
Wearable devices have been experiencing a big expansion. Other than the best smartwatches and the best fitness trackers which sit on the wrist and connect to your smartphone, more and more wearables have been introduced to the market, including wellness-focused devices like the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring and the Apollo Neuro. But the Humane Ai pin is the first wearable “built specifically to harness AI for the post-smartphone era of mobile computing.” What does this mean? Let’s take a look.
Humane is a start-up company founded by former Apple executives, including co-founder Imran Chaudhri who worked on some of the best iPhones. For several years, Humane has been working on an AI-based wearable device that allows users to carry a digital assistant with them everywhere they go. This comes in the form of the Humane Ai pin.
The Humane Ai pin is a “screenless, standalone device and software platform built from the ground up for AI”. It uses a range of sensors, projectors, cameras and AI tech to enable interactions in your daily life. It almost looks like a small chip and pin device, and the mini-projector acts as the screen and comes with AI optical recognition and a laser-projected display.
The pocket-sized wearable is meant to fix onto clothing and act as an AI assistant, but the exciting thing about it is it doesn’t need to be paired with a smartphone or companion device. Rather than using your phone or downloading an app, the Humane Ai pin is powered by an advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon platform. The device also has a key focus on privacy and doesn’t have a wake up word, so it’s not ‘always on’ or listening to your conversations.
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Earlier this year, the Humane Ai pin was teased during Imran Chaudhri’s TED talk. While the device was hidden away, Chaudhri showed off the features to expect from the wearable, including taking phone calls and projecting the details of the call onto the palm of his hand.
But Paris Fashion Week is the first time we’ve seen the Humane Ai pin in its full form. The wearable was pinned on multiple models walking for Coperni, including supermodel Naomi Campbell. Most pins were found on blazers and coat lapels, shirts and on trouser pockets. This collaboration was designed to show off how versatile the Humane Ai pin is to wear… although we didn’t actually get to see the wearable in action.
None of the models used the Humane Ai pin so the presentation didn’t give us much of an indication on its functionality, although Humane definitely got minds racing. It’s still uncertain how the Human Ai pin will work and interact, for example, how the device connects to the internet and what applications it supports. But the Humane Ai pin is set to be officially unveiled on 9th November so we don’t have to wait too long to find out!
