HP Inc. has swooped in to acquire Humane, the American AI startup that promised to replace your smartphone with a wearable brooch, for a cool $116 million.
This deal includes Humane’s CosmOS AI platform, a treasure trove of over 300 patents, and the onboarding of Humane’s technical team into HP’s new AI innovation lab, HP IQ. Meanwhile, Humane’s much-hyped AI Pin is being unceremoniously pinned to the discontinued board, effective February 28, 2025.
The AI Pin, launched in November 2023, was marketed as the wearable AI assistant that would liberate us from the tyranny of smartphones. It could handle calls, messages, and even project information onto your hand like a high-tech fortune-teller.
Time magazine, perhaps prematurely, hailed it as one of the best inventions of 2023. However, the honeymoon was short-lived.
Tech reviewers, including the influential Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), lambasted the device for its sluggish performance and design flaws, with Brownlee dubbing it “The Worst Product I’ve Ever Reviewed… For Now.” Such scathing critiques contributed to dismal sales and a return rate that would make a boomerang jealous.
HP’s acquisition appears to be a strategic move to bolster its AI capabilities, integrating Humane’s software and expertise into its product lineup. Humane’s co-founders, Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, along with their team, will join HP IQ to spearhead the development of intelligent ecosystems across HP’s offerings.
For the few who took the plunge and purchased the AI Pin, Humane has announced that the devices will cease to function this coming week as they will lose connectivity to Humane’s servers.
Users are advised to back up any data stored on the .Center platform before this deadline, as all user data will be permanently deleted from Humane’s servers thereafter.
This episode serves as a cautionary tale in the tech world: even with $230 million in funding and a dream team of ex-Apple employees, not every innovation is destined to pin down success.
