In an era of technological progress, more and more products are entering the market, some of which may seem implausible.
I have been intrigued by artificial intelligence ever since Replika gained popularity, and the introduction of a new device, the Humane AI Pin, produced by former Apple employees, piqued my interest.
In 2018, former Apple designer and engineer Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno launched their company, Humane. As of 2023, the company launched an AI Pin, which can clip onto the user’s clothing, retailing for $699. The AI Pin is marketed to provide accurate information when asked, make calls, make purchases, message friends, navigate music, and capture precious moments with its camera all by using your voice or by tapping. All of these features are demonstrated in the presentation that includes both Chaudhri and Bongiorno, but these seem to be the only things it can do.
The Humane AI Pin is not particularly remarkable; in hindsight, it is simply a compact device that combines a camera, projector, microphone, music player, AI assistant, and communication software, designed to be worn on your chest. Nothing about this product is new, except for the fact that it is a compact version of a phone that can be worn on the chest and utilizes AI to assist users in their daily lives.
In its YouTube ad, “This is the Humane Ai Pin,” both founders show off their new product. Chaudhri demonstrates how the pin can answer text messages, navigate music with the LED on the pin, and even ask how many calories in the about nine almonds he is holding in his hand. The pin responds that the handful is ½ cup, and has 15 grams of protein.
Though ½ a cup of almonds is 15 grams, Chaudhri does not have a ½ cup of almonds in his hand. Food Network states, “ One serving of almonds is 23 almonds, which equals 1 ounce, 1/4 cup or about 1 handful.” One of the Humane AI Pin’s main advertised qualities is that it can accurately answer questions related to health, however this is directly disproven via the very video that claims the product can do such a thing.
The AI Pin is asked, “When is the next eclipse and where is the best place to see it?” It states that the next solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024, and the best places to see it are Exmouth, Australia, and East-Timor. But a NASA article titled ‘2024 Total Eclipse: Where & When’ proves the answer wrong, providing information that can help readers conclude that the solar eclipse will not be visible in Australia, as it will be night time there. This should be expected for this particular product since Humane says that ChatGPT access is one of the device’s core features, which is known to have AI hallucinations. AI hallucinations, according to zapier.com, can be described as, “An AI hallucination is when an AI model generates incorrect information but presents it as if it were a fact.”
The idea of having something to take a quick picture with may be nice, but the camera quality is very outdated compared to some phones we see today, which is what the Humane AI Pin is aiming to replace. The images in the Humane ad feature visible noise, blown out highlights, and weirdly smooth skin. Not only this, the camera function of the pin may prove tough to use since you cannot view your image on the pin and may not get the image you want since you can’t see it being taken.
In the ad, Chaudhri holds a book up to the pin and asks how much it is. The pin responds with the price of $24 but does not provide where it got the price. Chaudhri simply orders the pin to buy it, to which it does. It does not seem to ask for where to ship it to, where to buy it from, or who to address it to. This leaves plenty of room for mistakes and accidental purchases.
On top of the large price tag, there is also a monthly fee. Since this Humane AI Pin is designed to eventually substitute phones and lower screen time, the Humane company is their own carrier. By paying $24/month plus taxes and fees, you can access the internet with the pin.
Though there are a few positive things about this product. Humane’s mission with the Humane AI Pin is to lower screen time, which can be done. Since the pin has no screen and minimal functions, people who may want to go on a social media detox or just not stare at a screen all day may find this pin incredibly useful.
This roughly $700 pin is really unnecessary, the people purchasing the product probably only doing so to flex their wealth or simply out of curiosity. Even if the camera and messaging features are good for hands-free action, just those functions which have proved useful are not worth that kind of money.
The Humane AI Pin is available in three colors on hu.ma.ne/aipin starting at $699.
