Tech company Humane aims to put artificial intelligence in the palm of your hand - or rather, on the sleeve. Their newly launched AI Pin is a wearable assistant that lets you chat with AI anywhere.
In Spike Jonze’s world, Joaquin Phoenix’s character bonds with his AI assistant, falling for her emotionally. Their natural conversations and invisible interface presaged today’s voice assistants. Yet they shared an intangible connection impossible then.
Humane’s lightweight gadget makes this tangible. Its simple magnetically-linked parts let you physically engage with an AI system anywhere. Without complex controls, you can just speak naturally or gesture to interact.
This simplicity echoes Her’s AI, who evolves with the protagonist while adapting seamlessly to his life. Humane aims to strip away barriers between humans and AI through intuitive hardware paired with large language models. At $699.00 (R12,500.00), plus a $24.00 (R450.00) monthly subscription, the Pin notably comes at a consumer price point. With no coding required, early adopters can shape its capabilities through real-world use. Testing limitations lays the groundwork for more advanced AI integration.
As the Pin’s hardware improves and its potential unfolds, it could handle increasingly nuanced tasks. Like Her’s AI matured conversationally and emotionally. This launch represents a first step in that journey. By miniaturising and personalising AI, Humane makes it feel approachable. The Pin displays Her’s prescient vision, only now within reach. It’s a glimpse of our intelligent future built to human proportions.
Yet risks exist in anthropomorphising AI too. Boundaries around relationships and transparency must be navigated thoughtfully. Humane mirrors some of society’s unease around AI alongside the allure.
Still, the Pin’s accessibility is groundbreaking. Bringing advanced technology to the public spurs progress and understanding. Humane is betting this consumer launch will help AI become more collaborative.
Echoing Her, the Pin provokes important questions. How will we connect and coexist with AI? Can it understand people beyond transactions? By materialising this vision, Humane opens the door to finding out.
While its full impact is unfolding, the AI Pin represents a watershed moment. Humane is pioneering an intimate, tangible interface for AI. In a wearable form factor, the future is now always at hand.
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