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HP announced on Tuesday, Feb. 18 its definitive agreement to acquire some AI capabilities from Humane for $116 million. Humane is best known for its Ai Pin; it was announced that new purchases of this wearable tech have been discontinued.
HP’s acquisition includes Humane’s AI-driven platform Cosmos, as well as other intellectual properties and key staff members from the company who will form HP’s new AI Innovation lab called HP IQ.
Introducing HP’s new AI lab
HP IQ builds on the foundation established by the Humane team and Cosmos. The new AI lab will utilize a team of data engineers and architects from Humane in the development of an intelligent ecosystem meant to support future HP products and services.
“We’re excited to join HP at such a pivotal moment in the industry and help shape the future of intelligent experiences. HP’s scale, global reach, and operational excellence – combined with our design-led approach, integration technology, and engineering expertise – will redefine workforce productivity,” said Humane’s co-founders Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri in a joint statement.
What is the Ai Pin, and what does this news mean for its users?
Named one of Time’s Best 200 Inventions of 2023, Humane’s Ai Pin is wearable tech that clips onto the user’s shirt. Not only does it serve as a cellular phone, digital camera, voice assistant, and a multilingual translator, it also includes a camera and a touchpad. Wearers of the Ai Pin can even use the device to project a small screen onto their own hand, which is a rather unique, albeit limited, feature.
According to the latest update from Humane, consumer availability of purchasing the Ai Pin is being discontinued immediately. Those who already own an Ai Pin will be able to access its full range of functionality until February 28, 2025, at which point Humane’s servers will be shuttered.
Humane will delete all of its remaining consumer data at that time. Users who want to save any data from their Ai Pins are encouraged to sync their devices and download their data by the end of the month.