What They Did
Founded by ex-Apple employees, Humane raised $241 million to build the "AI Pin" — a $699 screenless wearable AI assistant that projected a laser display onto your palm. It was supposed to replace your smartphone.
How LLMs Killed Them
The AI Pin launched to brutal reviews. It was unreliable, slow, and confusing. The underlying LLM capabilities were better accessed through a smartphone app (like ChatGPT), making dedicated AI hardware pointless. Why wear a $699 pin when you can just talk to your phone?
Timeline
- Late 2024: AI Pin launched to scathing reviews.
- February 2025: Announced discontinuation of AI Pin. Sold team and IP to HP for $116M (vs $241M raised).
- Customers' existing pins were remotely disabled.
By the Numbers
- Raised $241M in funding
- Sold to HP for $116M (52% loss)
- Bricked all customer devices remotely
- Reviews were universally negative