Humane's AI Pin is a curious and expensive AI wearable that will be available in the US from 16 November.
Startup Humane has released all the details about its first AI wearable, the AI Pin. The wearable, which is already on Time Magazine's list of "Best Inventions of 2023", attaches magnetically to clothing with a battery and uses a combination of proprietary software Cosmos and AI models such as OpenAI's GPT-4 to perform its functions.
This includes calls, voice translation, messages, recommendations, and contextual information, such as recognizing nutritional information on food or suggesting a nearby restaurant that matches your preferences. The company says this works completely natively, with no apps to download. Instead, Cosmos uses the 'Ai Bus' in the background, an AI framework that selects appropriate cloud software and AI models based on the user's request.
Video: Humane
"Trust Light" shows your surroundings that you are recording them
The built-in sensors can also be used to take photos or videos. When one of the sensors or the microphone is active, the 'Trust Light' lights up to alert those around you that a recording is being made. The Trust Light glows in different colors depending on which sensor is active. An upward-facing speaker is designed to ensure that audio responses are clearly audible without echoing in all directions.
Available in three colors - Eclipse, Equinox, and Lunar - the AI Pin has its own small battery, weighs 34.2 grams, and can be controlled by voice, touchpad or with your hand. The rechargeable battery - or "battery booster" - weighs just 20.5 grams. The device measures approximately 45mm x 47.5mm and is just under 23mm thick, with the battery at its thickest point. If you want to do without the included battery, you can order alternative magnetic clips.
The camera takes 13MP photos, but no information is available on video resolution yet. The camera is ultra-wide, with a 120° FOV and an aperture of f/2.4. The 3D sensor is an indirect time-of-flight camera with 125° FOV, f/1.4 aperture, and a 4-element lens with 640x480 VGA resolution. Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and GPS are also integrated.
AI Pin costs $699 plus $24 per month
The AI Pin is powered by a Snapdragon chip and comes with Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 and LTE. The network used in the US is the Humane Wireless Service, which is operated by T-Mobile. In addition to OpenAI and T-Mobile, Humane's initial partners include Microsoft, Google, Slack and Tidal.
The Humane AI Pin starts at $699 for the complete package, which includes the AI Pin, two battery boosters, a charging pad, cables and adapters, and a charging case. There is also a subscription fee of US$24 per month, which includes synchronisation and storage of all photos and videos, unlimited access to all AI services and a flat rate for talk, text and data, including your own mobile number.
The coming months will show whether the AI pin is more than just a technological curiosity. Although very different, Meta could be moving in a similar direction with its new Ray-Ban headsets - albeit without any form of display.
