Abdelrahman
Approximately ten months after its initial launch, the Humane AI Pin, a poorly executed and disappointing gadget, has officially become a $700 piece of electronic waste. This unfortunate outcome followed the company’s decision to sell its software to HP, leaving its limited customer base in dismay, as they were informed that they could no longer rely on the device’s functionality due to support ending.
Come the end of this month, every unit of the Humane AI Pin will cease to operate. However, it’s worth noting that as highlighted by Engadget, while most features will be discontinued on February 28, dedicated users will still have access to certain “offline” capabilities. These features appear to be limited to simple tasks like checking battery levels: “After February 28, 2025, the AI Pin will permit offline functionalities such as battery status but will no longer support any operations requiring cloud connectivity, including voice commands, AI interactions, and access to the main platform.” Humane has also stated, “We encourage users to recycle their AI Pin via an electronic waste recycling program.”
We Can, and We Must, Remember the Humane AI Pin
The Humane AI Pin joins a legacy of infamous tech failures, such as the Juicero, Coolest Cooler, and Magic Leap, that we should always keep in mind.
If you’re not already aware, the AI Pin, priced at $700, was marketed as an “AI assistant” but failed spectacularly in its execution, raising safety concerns and primarily serving to incite the ire of skeptical venture capitalists on Twitter, especially after the negative reviews.
Currently, there isn’t much to share regarding the Humane AI Pin, apart from its fortune that most tech journalists in the United States are preoccupied with the Elon Musk-led upheaval of the federal government rather than critiquing this company as extensively as it deserves (though we are diligently contributing our thoughts, we just needed a brief intermission).
The company and its technology received unfounded hype, squandered massive funding (raising $240 million), delivered a subpar product, operated for less than a year, and has now transformed into hazardous e-waste that poses challenges for responsible disposal. Fortunately, Humane managed to sell a limited number of devices (around 10,000), meaning that the number of affected consumers is relatively small, resulting in fewer units requiring recycling.
The Humane AI Pin exemplifies a troubling trend of Internet of Things devices that are expensive yet rapidly become e-waste when companies discontinue support or cease operations.
Regarding recycling: I’ve visited electronic recycling facilities and found that small devices like this can be labor-intensive to process due to their compact and tricky-to-remove batteries. An iFixit teardown suggested that the Humane Pin may be among the “worst devices ever,” noting that its battery is challenging to access due to design flaws, heavily glued panels, and that making batteries so difficult to reach is baffling at best.
Ultimately, we must ensure that the Humane AI Pin is not forgotten. Kudos to everyone involved.
