Ken Kocienda approaches me with a small white circular badge pinned to his attire, emitting a beep as he taps it with both hands. “Play music composed by Prince but not performed by him,” he requests.
As the Sinéad O’Connor rendition of Prince’s original song, “Little Contrasts 2 U,” begins to play with another beep, Kocienda extends his hand, revealing a natural volume sensor, a pause button, and a button for the next song. By rotating his elbow clockwise, the volume increases, while a counterclockwise rotation softens the music. A firm clasp of his fingers brings an abrupt halt to the song, and the green light display vanishes as he lowers his hands.
Maintaining eye contact, Kocienda expresses, “I appreciate the transient nature of technology—it’s here one moment, gone the next. It’s important to be fully present with those around you, and that’s one of the core principles.”
Kocienda serves as the head of product design at Humane, a tech company based in San Francisco that recently introduced an AI-centric device called the Humane Ai Pin. This innovative gadget, designed to be screenless, interacts verbally with users, projecting a light display onto their hand when needed. Powered by advanced AI speech models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4, the device can perform a range of tasks from making calls and translating conversations to capturing images and settling disputes. The company boasts a team of former Apple professionals, including key figures involved in the development of iconic Apple products like the iPhone and iPad. Notably, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, holds a significant stake in Humane, emphasizing the shift towards AI-first consumer hardware. Additionally, tech luminaries Marc and Lynne Benioff are among the company’s investors.
The Humane Ai Pin aims to liberate users from the dominance of traditional phone screens and the commercial market, offering a more direct and immersive user experience. According to Imran Chaudhri, the company’s creative lead, the device represents a new paradigm in smart technology, enabling users to harness the power of AI seamlessly within their daily lives, fostering a sense of balance and connection with the world.
Humane’s headquarters in San Francisco may appear nondescript from the outside, with boarded-up windows and minimal signage. However, upon entering, visitors are greeted by a sleek, modern space reminiscent of an Apple store, reflecting the company’s design ethos. Co-founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, both sporting the Humane Ai Pin, welcome guests, highlighting the growing demand for AI-driven platforms and the opportune timing for such innovations.
While Humane faces competition in the AI hardware space, including rumored projects involving industry giants like Apple and OpenAI, the Humane Ai Pin distinguishes itself as the first of its kind available to consumers. Priced at $699 with a monthly subscription fee, the device exudes a polished aesthetic akin to Apple products, offering a more natural and conversational interaction experience compared to conventional virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa. Despite its advanced capabilities, the device exhibits occasional glitches common to AI systems, underscoring the inherent limitations of probabilistic models like GPT-4.
Addressing concerns around privacy and data security, Humane incorporates features like a “Trust Light” indicator to signal when the device is active, reassuring users about the responsible handling of their information. Chaudhri emphasizes the company’s commitment to safeguarding user privacy and ensuring that personal data is not exploited for commercial gain. However, the challenge lies in building public trust and dispelling apprehensions about data collection and surveillance in the age of smart technology.
In a world where privacy concerns loom large, initiatives like the Humane Ai Pin seek to strike a delicate balance between technological innovation and ethical responsibility, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-infused consumer hardware.
