After just a few months on the market, AI hardware startup Humane is discontinuing its wearable AI Pin and selling its core technology to HP. Current users have only ten days left to back up their data before the devices stop working entirely.
According to a customer letter dated February 18, all AI Pin devices will shut down permanently on February 28, 2025, at 9 p.m. CET. After this deadline, users will lose access to every feature - including calls, messages, AI queries, and cloud storage. The only remaining function will be the battery status display.
The company strongly urges customers to download any stored data before the cutoff date, as all remaining information will be permanently deleted once the servers go offline.
What this means for current AI Pin owners
Customers still within their 90-day return window can request a refund through February 27. Those waiting for replacement charging cases, which were recalled due to fire safety concerns, will receive partial refunds - $149 for cases purchased separately or $129 for those bought in bundles.
The shutdown follows HP's acquisition of Humane, a deal first mentioned in summer 2024. While HP isn't taking over the hardware business, it is paying $116 million for Humane's technology, intellectual property - including more than 300 patents and patent applications - and most of its employees.
This price tag falls significantly short of Humane's earlier aspirations. In May 2024, the company had been seeking a buyer at a valuation between $750 million and $1 billion.
A new chapter at HP
Humane's team, including founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, will form a new division called HP IQ. Their focus will shift to incorporating artificial intelligence into HP's product line, from PCs and printers to conference room systems.
HP sees this acquisition as crucial to their transformation into an experience-focused company. As Humane announced, they plan to use Humane's Cosmos AI platform to develop a new generation of devices capable of processing AI requests both locally and in the cloud.
The AI Pin launched in April 2024 with considerable fanfare following its late 2023 unveiling. The wearable device aimed to give users voice and gesture-controlled access to AI models, calls, and text messages - potentially replacing smartphones altogether. However, the device faced widespread criticism in reviews and struggled with technical issues, problems that became particularly glaring given its $699 price tag.
