At MWC Barcelona, Numerama had the opportunity to play with the AI Pin, the $699 gadget (with a mandatory subscription), which dreams of integrating AI into the palm of the hand. Is the promised smartphone replacement credible?
Humane recently revealed the Ai Pin. Some people put forward the idea that this little gadget that hangs on your t-shirt could one day replace the smartphone, which may seem exaggerated. However, in the context of the rise of chatbots, LLMs and AI in general, this device arouses real curiosity and fuels the imagination of technophiles. Are screens likely to be replaced by AI that broadcasts images only when necessary?
699 dollars and a monthly subscription
The AI Pin is a very compact device priced at $699. It takes the form of a square box that attaches to clothing, with a magnetic battery. Its 34 grams make it a relatively light object.
Beyond this initial cost, a monthly subscription of $24 is required. It offers 4G connectivity thanks to an integrated eSIM (only one operator is offered in the United States). The Ai Pin is therefore autonomous. It works without the need for a smartphone or a dedicated application.
On the technical side, we find a microphone, a speaker, a video projector (!) and a camera capable of capturing images and videos in 13 megapixels. It is the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip which constitutes the heart of the device. It takes care of connectivity, but also AI processing thanks to the integrated NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Most data is processed via the cloud, which limits local processing.
A few minutes with the Ai Pin
During Mobile World Congress 2024, Numerama had the opportunity to test the Ai Pin for a few minutes, then to speak with its co-founders.
First thing to know, the device does not listen to the world all the time. To trigger its voice assistant, it is necessary to press a touchpad, which already constitutes a barrier to the idea of a perpetually available AI. An indicator light indicates when the device is listening, but also when it is taking photos or filming, which provides a certain transparency to the user and those around them, hence its name “confidence indicator” .
Connected to a language processing model, presumably OpenAI’s GPT-4, the AI Pin responds to a variety of voice commands, but only in English for now. The idea is to be able to ask him questions so you never have to take out your smartphone.
During my test, I asked it for basic information, such as the number of inhabitants in Barcelona, to take photos, record videos, read the latest emails, and even try to get it to describe my surroundings. Despite some inaccuracies, the functionalities were there. No failures. Its responsiveness can be improved, but this small device proved reliable, even in the atmosphere of the MWC show. It’s a nice surprise.
How to display a message, other than by voice? Humane relies on a small video projector that displays a green image on the palm of the hand (green is the color most visible to the human eye). An image which remains quite sharp, but which constitutes an obvious loss of quality compared to the HD screen of a smartphone.
Obviously, it is impossible to have an objective opinion on this device without using it every day, from waking up to going to bed. This doesn’t stop you from imagining what would change in your life if you could wear it every day.
Would the experience be improved if the device was connected to my phone? This camera, for example, seems suited to very specific uses. The separate telephone number issue also poses a problem. I have a number linked to my phone, but it is not the same as the Ai Pin number. How do I give him access to my SMS and voice calls under these conditions? It’s impossible. This therefore implies completely detaching yourself from your smartphone… or waiting for a partnership between operators and Humane like Apple Watch.
I want to be optimistic, but…
I’m a big fan of technology and often get excited about innovations that push the boundaries of what’s possible. The emergence of language models has opened the door to possibilities unseen just a year ago, and I look with measured optimism to products like the Apple Vision Pro, which offer a renewed vision of the future of computing. I want to be captivated by the Ai Pin, but it seems to me that this product is aimed primarily at savvy techies and no one else.
I fear that, for many, this purchase will end up at the bottom of a drawer, due to the small daily frustrations linked to its use (and its restriction in a strict software environment). It’s a cynical view, but this first demo didn’t really convince me. Perhaps in addition to my smartphone, to avoid having to take it out for anything and everything. But, that would be so reductive for the device supposed to replace the smartphone. Isn’t the Humane Ai Pin an AI-boosted Apple Watch, attached to the sweater?
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