- HP is acquiring Humane’s AI tech and talent for $116 million—but the AI Pin, once hyped as a smartphone alternative, is officially being shut down.
HP is acquiring parts of Humane, the startup behind the AI-powered wearable device known as the Ai Pin, for $116 million.
The deal includes HP taking on most of Humane's employees, its intellectual property, and its software platform, the AI company said on Tuesday. The deal will not include Humane's Ai pin device business, its flagship and only hardware product, which will be shuttered.
As part of the acquisition, Humane’s team—including founders and former Apple engineers Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno—will join HP to help integrate artificial intelligence into its computers, printers, and other connected devices.
HP has been trying to strengthen its position in the growing AI market. Last year, the company introduced a series of computers with chips designed for AI applications.
"This investment will rapidly accelerate our ability to develop a new generation of devices that seamlessly orchestrate AI requests both locally and in the cloud," said Tuan Tran, President of Technology and Innovation at HP in a statement.
"Humane’s AI platform Cosmos, backed by an incredible group of engineers, will help us create an intelligent ecosystem across all HP devices, from AI PCs to smart printers and connected conference rooms. This will unlock new levels of functionality for our customers and deliver on the promises of AI," he added.
Representatives for HP and Humane did not respond to a request for further details from Fortune.
The rise and fall of the AI Pin
Humane first announced the Ai Pin, which it pitched as a possible smartphone replacement, in late 2023.
It was designed as a screen-free alternative to smartphones, allowing users to interact with artificial intelligence through voice commands, gestures, and projections. The product aimed to capitalize on the AI boom by tapping the AI hardware market early.
The company raised $230 million from some prominent investors, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
However, despite the initial demo being met with some excitement, when the product shipped in April 2024, it was scathingly reviewed.
Popular tech reviewer Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) called it one of the worst products he had ever reviewed. Brownlee said the product was slow, unreliable, had terrible battery life, and didn't do anything better than a smartphone.
The end of the AI pin
Humane is winding down its Ai pin business as part of the deal.
In a post on its website, the company said it had already paused new purchases of the consumer Ai Pin and that existing devices would stop functioning normally on February 28. After this, the pins will no longer connect to Humane’s servers and center access will be fully retired.
The company encouraged users to download any data stored on the pins as it plans to permanently wipe “all remaining customer data” at the same time as switching its servers off.
Humane is offering refunds to customers who are still within the 90-day return period, provided they submit a request by February 27.
