The Humane AI Pin, perhaps the most mocked tech release of recent years, is dead.
Last April, after years of secrecy and rumours, Humane launched what it said was the future of personal technology. It was a smart brooch that clipped to its owner’s jacket, using artificial intelligence and other technology to help them navigate the world, and was introduced through a range of hyped events including at Paris Fashion Week.
But the pin was immediately met with a host of bad reviews that suggested it was doomed. Perhaps most prominent was YouTuber Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, who called it “The worst product I've ever reviewed”.
The Pin cost $699. Customers also had to sign up for a $24 per month plan that gave them the data connection required to access AI and other cloud services.
Now, all of those expensive pins will become useless, Humane has announced. Some of the company’s assets will be sold to HP but the product itself is no longer being supported or sold.
Humane announced the change in a message to customers in which it said “effective immediately, we are winding down the consumer Ai Pin as our business priorities have shifted”.
No new pins will be sold from now, and the online services will shut down at the end of the month. That will make the pins functionally useless.
“We understand this transition may be difficult,” Humane said, asking customers to get in touch on a support email that will also shut down at the end of the month.
