Humane’s AI Pin Discontinued: HP Acquires Startup for $116 Million
Background
Humane, a hardware startup, announced on Tuesday that most of its assets have been acquired by HP for $116 million. The company is immediately discontinuing sales of its $499 AI Pins.
Discontinuation of AI Pins
The company has alerted customers who have already purchased the Pin that their devices will stop functioning before the end of the month – at 12 p.m. PST on February 28, 2025. After that date, the devices will no longer connect to Humane’s servers, and the devices won’t be capable of calling, messaging, AI queries/responses, or cloud access. Humane is advising AI Pin owners to transfer their important photos and data to an external device immediately.
Customer Support and Refunds
Humane plans to dissolve its customer support team for the AI Pin on February 28. The company says customers who bought an AI pin in the last 90 days are eligible for a refund, but anyone who bought a device before then is not.
History of Humane
The Bay Area startup, founded by ex-Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, raised more than $230 million to create the device. Humane made a splash in April 2024 by launching its AI Pin, which it positioned as a smartphone replacement. However, the AI Pin disappointed many early reviewers and customers, creating a crisis for the company.
Acquisition by HP
HP is acquiring Humane’s engineers and product managers, and the Humane team will form the basis of a new group within HP called HP IQ, which it describes as an "AI innovation lab focused on building an intelligent ecosystem across HP’s products and services for the future of work." HP will also acquire some of Humane’s technology, including its CosmOS AI operating system, which could be used to integrate AI into HP’s personal computers and printers.
Conclusion
The acquisition marks the end of the short-lived, buzzy hardware startup, and it remains to be seen how HP will utilize the technology and talent acquired from Humane.
FAQs
Q: What is happening to the AI Pin?
A: The AI Pin will stop functioning on February 28, 2025, and will no longer connect to Humane’s servers.
Q: What about customer support?
A: Humane plans to dissolve its customer support team for the AI Pin on February 28.
Q: Am I eligible for a refund?
A: If you purchased an AI Pin in the last 90 days, you are eligible for a refund. If you purchased a device before then, you are not eligible for a refund.
Q: What is happening to Humane’s technology?
A: HP is acquiring Humane’s technology, including its CosmOS AI operating system, which could be used to integrate AI into HP’s personal computers and printers.
