American-based consumer electronics company Humane has just announced the sale of their company and halting of productions of their AI pin. Initially funded through investors at an amount of US$240 million (~RM1.06 billion), Humane has reportedly been bought over by HP for US$116 million (~RM515 million).
Initially marketed as a “wearable computer”, Humane’s AI pin is essentially a clip-on AI device that was set to be an innovation in the world of tech. Co-founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno described it as a “second brain” that was equipped with the ability to act as assistant, and reduce the amount of time spent on smartphones. Priced at US$699 (~RM3,105), using its voice command, hand gestures and a laser projection display, users could use the pin to seek answers, take notes, and make calls. The AI pin was hyped up as a new beginning in artificial intelligence.
As time would prove, however, Humane’s AI pin would drastically fail to meet expectations. Receiving harsh criticism from users almost immediately after its initial product announcement, users started questioning both its price point, and actual purpose of usage.
The actual product release would not prove to be any better, as negative reviews began piling up after the release of the AI pin last year. From the pin shutting down numerous times, to overheating and overall issues with the voice command, the pin seemed doomed from the start. There was a reported return of US$1 million (~RM4.44 million) worth of products against their US$9 million (~RM39,96 million) sales.
Humane seems to have acknowledged these vital issues, as they are officially shutting down the AI pin and halting all operations on 28 February. HP bought over Humane for US$116 million, including their patents and pending patents. Co-owners Chaudri and Bongiorno are reported to be forming a new AI-integrated division at HP which is said to be called HP IQ.
Humane has announced through their official website that the purchased AI pins will continue working until their cease of operations on 28 February. Offline features such as the battery level will continue working as normal, while features that require cloud connectivity such as voice interactions will be halted. Humane will only be offering refunds within the 90 day return period.
(Sources: Humane, The Verge , The New York Times)
Manisha Dharmendra contributed to this article.
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