TL;DR
- Humane is discontinuing the AI Pin, halting software support for the device, and deleting all customer data.
- Early customers who purchased the $700 device will not get any refunds.
- The company has been acquired by HP.
It’s almost been a year since I first encountered Humane’s AI Pin at MWC 2024. Back then, skepticism was rampant — not just from me, but from many others — about the future of this $700 AI-powered device that struggled to perform even basic tasks. Fast forward a few months, and the company was fighting to maintain the credibility of its ambitious yet unfinished product, as reviewers slammed it for falling way short of expectations. Humane promised major updates to improve the device, but the damage was done by then, and the writing was on the wall for its debut device.
Now, Humane has finally admitted defeat, likely recognizing how outdated the AI Pin has become in a world where advanced AI capabilities are standard on virtually every smartphone. The company has announced it will cease production of the AI Pin immediately, citing a shift in “business priorities” and discontinuing sales of the once-promising device.
What happens to existing customers?
If you were one of those who jumped on the new tech and bought the Humane AI Pin at launch, there’s more bad news for you. Your AI Pin will continue to function normally until 12 PM PST (3 PM ET) on February 28, 2025. After this date, it will no longer connect to Humane’s servers, and Center access will be fully retired. That means the device will no longer include calling, messaging, AI queries/responses, or cloud access.
Humane advises you to connect your AI Pin to Wi-Fi and download any stored pictures, videos, and notes before February 28, 2025. If you do not do this, your data will be lost upon deletion on February 28, 2025, at 12 PM PST, when the company plans to delete all consumer data.
Essentially, if you were unlucky enough to fall for the promise of an all-seeing intelligent AI Pin, your device will now become junk in a drawer.
There is some hope, though. You can get a refund for the AI Pin if your device is still within the 90-day return window from your original shipment date. That means customers whose products shipped on or after November 15, 2024, are eligible for a full refund. All device shipments before that date are not eligible for refunds. Moreover, all refund requests have to be submitted by February 27, 2025.
What’s next for Humane?
Humane has been acquired by HP. The deal gives HP access to Humane’s entire AI software and hardware suite, including their AI-powered platform Cosmos, technical staff, and intellectual property with over 300 patents and patent applications.
“Humane’s AI platform Cosmos, backed by an incredible group of engineers, will help us create an intelligent ecosystem across all HP devices from AI PCs to smart printers and connected conference rooms. This will unlock new levels of functionality for our customers and deliver on the promises of AI,” HP noted in a press release.
