Humane has been much talked about for its new AI Pin, a lapel clip-on device that makes big promises of replacing your smartphone screen with an AI-powered helper. We interviewed Humane’s founders at MWC 2024 and had a sneak peek at the AI Pin and some of its functionalities, but at the time, we weren’t even allowed to hold the thing, let alone operate it. Even so, we had our doubts about how Humane would manage to convince people to spend $700 on such niche, untested technology.
Now, a set of reviews for the device are in, and they sure don’t inspire confidence. The Verge’s review says the AI Pin simply “doesn’t work.” The publication calls it out for being a “thoroughly unfinished” product. It’s “so totally broken in so many unacceptable ways that I can’t think of anyone to whom I’d recommend spending the $699 for the device and the $24 monthly subscription,” writes Verge’s David Pierce.