At this particular moment in history, it feels unimaginable that we might one day once again live in a world free of smartphones. And yet, some in the tech world are convinced that in the future we may not be glued constantly to the phone screens that have become so ubiquitous in our lives.
With recent advances in AI, a new breed of micro devices are starting to emerge that offer some of the same functionality as phones, but that exist for the primary purpose of being personal assistants that can sit in the palm of your hand or latch onto the lapel of your coat. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, I got my first real-life glimpse of the Humane AI Pin — a device designed by two former Apple employees who are charting a course towards a screen-free, AI-powered future.
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Humane announced the AI Pin back in November of 2023, and it’s currently available for pre-order in the US for $699 (as well as increasingly with a number of operator partners around the world). On top of this, there’s a $24 monthly subscription fee to pay that covers connectivity, secure data storage and access to Humane’s AI service.
The Pin is a petite, subtle square-shaped computer that sits on your chest with the help of a magnet. You interact with it primarily through voice, but also using gestures on the front-facing touchpad. The aim is to have an expert and always-available assistant ready to help you out with any query while remaining present, rather than getting lost in whatever’s happening on your phone screen. “Something that’s really important about it is that we want to live more in the moment,” said Bethany Bongiorno, CEO and co-founder of Humane.
Demoing the Pin’s capabilities using her personal device, Bongiorno showed how the Pin, which is activated by touch rather than with a wake word, could quickly answer simple questions, such as converting dollars to euros. More impressive was the Pin’s translate function, which she used to ask for local…
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