Former Apple designers unveil a pocket-sized AI digital assistant

Humane, a San Francisco-based AI company, has unveiled its groundbreaking creation: the AI Pin – a compact, screenless device that you can attach to your clothing using a magnet.

This pocket-sized digital assistant aims to revolutionize our interaction with artificial intelligence, redefining the future of wearable technology.

Unlike smartphones, it doesn’t have a display. Instead, it relies on voice commands and contextual cues from its camera and sensors. The device features a tiny projector that can beam laser icons and text onto your palm. It’s powered by large language AI models developed by Microsoft and OpenAI, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and Bluetooth connectivity.

The AI Pin will run on T-Mobile’s network and costs $699, with an additional $24 per month for data subscription and cloud storage, and is set to go on sale on November 16.

Privacy concerns arise due to the device’s camera, but Humane has incorporated a Trust Light to indicate when the camera is active. The microphone isn’t always on; users must manually activate it, either by tapping or dragging on the touchpad. The founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno emphasize that the AI Pin enhances capabilities without overshadowing our humanity. As stated by Chaudhri in the launch video, "There are no wake words so it’s not always listening or always recording."

“In fact, it doesn’t do anything until you engage with it, and your engagement comes through your voice, touch, gesture or the laser ink display," he added.

The AI Pin aims to eventually replace smartphones. It has its phone number and doesn’t need to be paired with a phone. Interactions occur via voice, touchpad, gestures, or by holding up objects. Powered by GPT-4, the AI Pin combines voice and visual interaction. It challenges our reliance on screens and introduces a fashionable personal assistant.

At the TED Conference, Chaudhri revealed that Humane's goal with the Pin is essentially to eliminate all the unnecessary complexity from your technology. It won't feature a home screen or numerous settings and accounts to navigate. The concept is that you can simply speak to or touch the Pin, express what you want to do or learn, and it will happen seamlessly.

The AI features a laser display for visual interface projection, voice interaction without wake words, a built-in camera and speaker, real-time object identification, web search capabilities, and so much more.

The Humane AI Pin represents a bold step toward a screenless, AI-powered future.