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Humane's "AI Pin" Debuts on the Paris Runway
Humane's "AI Pin" Debuts on the Paris Runway
Humane, founded by former Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, is developing a unique wearable leveraging AI technology.
The company has successfully completed multiple funding rounds and has also partnered with OpenAI.
In June this year, it announced its first product, a wearable called "AI Pin."
AI Pin is screenless, privacy-focused, and designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life when worn.
Image Credit: Coperni, Photographed by Luca Tombolini
Image credit: Coperni, photographed by Luca Tombolini
Humane, a secretive software and hardware company, is clearly making the most of media hype. The company traces its origins to 2017, when it was founded by former Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri. For much of this half decade, the company has remained largely mysterious, assembling pieces of an enigmatic wearable that promises to leverage AI in a unique way.
The company has been generating buzz since it began engaging with media long before providing any real insight into its work. Perhaps owing to that mystery, Humane is now a heavily funded early-stage startup.
In late 2020, it raised a $30 million Series A at a $150 million valuation. The following September, a $100 million Series B arrived, including Tiger Global Management, SoftBank Group, BOND, Forerunner Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures. That seemed like a strong vote of confidence in a company still shrouded in secrecy. In March this year, it raised an additional $100 million.
Sam Altman is also a major backer of the company. Therefore, it is no surprise that OpenAI functions as the primary AI collaborator.
In June, Humane Was Set to Announce
In June, Humane was set to announce its first product, "AI Pin."
"AI Pin is a connected, intelligent clothing-based wearable device that uses a series of sensors enabling contextual compute interactions," the company said at the time. "AI Pin is a kind of standalone device with a software platform that leverages the power of AI to enable innovative personal computing experiences."
Today, it was confirmed that the device will be officially unveiled at an event on November 9. In the meantime, it has been featured at several Paris fashion shows. The device made a cameo on supermodel Naomi Campbell's lapel at the Coperni Spring/Summer 2024 show, presenting her as "the first non-employee to wear the device in public."
Image credit: Coperni, photographed by Luca Tombolini
"We've been fans of Arnaud and Sébastien at Coperni for some time, and our shared passion for the union of design, creativity, and technology is at the heart of this collaboration," Humane founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno said in a press release. "Our relationship with technology is changing profoundly, becoming ever more personal as devices evolve to be an extension of our bodies, minds, and hearts."
They Further Described the System as "A New Paradigm of
They further described the system as "a new paradigm of ambient, AI-driven computing." Humane describes the device as follows:
Humane Ai Pin is a screenless standalone device and software platform built from the ground up for AI. This intelligent clothing-based wearable uses sensors that enable natural and intuitive compute interactions, designed to seamlessly integrate into users' daily lives. The device prioritizes privacy with no wake word, so there is no constant monitoring. This reflects Humane's vision of building products centered on trust.
If this sounds like a string of buzzwords, that's not wrong. It is impossible to separate the end product from self-generated hype until we actually see something functioning. Judging from the images, it is indeed a screenless device, but the large front face may have some functionality. Above that, there appear to be forward-facing sensors that may be pointed toward the user's face, along with additional sensors on top.
Humane is really pushing the "standalone device" story, and there may be appeal here—the ability to leave your smartphone at home. Similar to companies that have pushed LTE-enabled smartwatches.
It seems we'll get more detailed answers in a few months.
Reference: https://techcrunch.com/202
Reference: https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/30/humanes-ai-pin-debuts-on-the-paris-runway/?ref=futurepedia
Image reference: https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-30-at-8.14.25%E2%80%AFAM.jpg?w=1390&crop=1
https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-30-at-8.15.03%E2%80%AFAM.jpg
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