HP Inc to build future products atop grave of flopped 'AI pin'

Tech and people behind IoT brooch that reviewers instantly hated will one day pep up printers

The “AI Pin” produced by company called Humane was a leading tender for 2024’s biggest consumer tech flop, but that hasn’t stopped HP acquiring some of the code and people behind the device and using it as the basis for a new innovation team that will infuse its printers and conference room kit with AI.

The Pin is a small device that many would deem a “brooch”. Whatever you call it, the machine is billed as “your intelligent, voice-powered wearable companion — keeping you connected and in the moment with just a touch.” As its name implies, the AI Pin is designed to be pinned to your clothes. The gadget includes a camera so it can do things like scan a document and read a translation through its speaker. It also includes “laser ink”, a projector capable of beaming images and text. Humane suggested you’d use it to beam info onto your hand, for those moments when the Pin’s speakers weren’t the right way to consume data.

The Humane AI Pin, pinned to a hoodie - Click to enlarge

Humane’s founders, and investors including Salesforce’s Marc Benioff and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, hoped the device would “disrupt” the smartphone market.

It didn’t.

Reviewers who got their hands on the device quickly gave it a hard no, citing problems with overheating, stability, and usability. Later assessments made after a software update were kinder, but by the time such reviews appeared The New York Times reported that Humane knew the product had substantial problems before launch.

Issues included the possibility a battery in the device’s charger accessory could catch fire, which led to an October 2024 recall notice that revealed just 10,500 of the devices were affected.

The abovementioned issues quickly led to speculation Humane might try to sell its IP – the New York Times in June named HP as one suitor.

That prediction came true on Tuesday when HP announced it had reached “a definitive agreement to acquire key AI capabilities from Humane, including their AI-powered platform Cosmos, highly skilled technical talent, and intellectual property with more than 300 patents and patent applications.”

Doing so will apparently advance “HP’s transformation into a more experience-led company.”

Tuan Tran, President of Technology and Innovation at HP, said the acquisition “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."

That stuff will emerge from “HP IQ”, described a “new AI innovation lab focused on building an intelligent ecosystem across HP’s products and services for the future of work.” Humane staff will work in the lab.

All that for just $116 million, the sum HP will pay to acquire chunks of Humane.

We're guessing the lab will figure out how to use the Cosmos OS that powered the AI Pin across HP's product range.

Bricking it

The deal also means the AI Pin will be disabled and dumped.

A Humane support document reveals the device is not longer on sale, and that as of February 28th customer data will be deleted and the servers that power many of its features won’t be reachable. After that date, owners have been advised “Your Ai Pin features will no longer include calling, messaging, Ai queries/responses, or cloud access.”

Did we mention the Pin cost $699? And that a Humane FAQ states that only those who bought their devices after November 15th are eligible for a refund?

Maybe remember that when HP printers start talking to you once they include Humane’s tech. ®