Humane has announced that it has sold most of its assets to HP for $116 million, leading the hardware startup to cease sales of its $499 AI Pins. In a blog post, Humane informed customers who have already purchased the AI Pin that their devices will stop functioning by 12 p.m. PST on February 28, 2025. After this date, the AI Pins will no longer connect to Humane’s servers, rendering them unable to make calls, send messages, perform AI queries, or access the cloud. Users are advised to back up their important photos and data to an external device as soon as possible.
The company plans to disband its customer support team for the AI Pin on the same date. According to an FAQ, customers who bought an AI Pin within the last 90 days are eligible for a refund, while those who purchased earlier will not be eligible. This marks the end of the brief and notable journey for the hardware startup. Humane made headlines in April 2024 when it launched its AI Pin, billing it as a potential smartphone replacement. Founded by former Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, Humane raised over $230 million to develop the device. However, the AI Pin failed to meet the expectations of many early reviewers and customers, leading to a crisis for the company. Reports from The Verge noted that by last summer, returns of the AI Pin were exceeding sales. Additionally, the company advised customers to stop using the device’s charging case due to battery fire risks. In October, Humane reduced the price of the AI Pin from $699 to $499.
As part of the acquisition, HP will take on Humane’s engineers and product managers, who will establish a new group within HP called HP IQ, which is described as an “AI innovation lab” aimed at creating an intelligent ecosystem for HP’s products and services in the future of work. HP will also acquire some of Humane’s technology, including its CosmOS AI operating system. Humane recently showcased an advertisement indicating that this AI operating system could be utilized in various devices, such as car entertainment systems, smart speakers, TVs, and Android phones, potentially allowing for the integration of AI into HP’s personal computers and printers. Earlier this year, Humane had sought a much higher acquisition price, between $750 million and $1 billion, as reported by Bloomberg.
