The Humane AI Pin is certainly experiencing growing pains after its launch was met with lower than expected reviews. Now though, the CEO of its biggest competitor has uncovered another major downside to using the new AI-powered wearable.
While we only got to see a quick demo of the Humane AI Pin in action back in February at MWC 2024, the $700 accessory is now shipping out to customers who preordered it. Among those early adopters is Rabbit founder and CEO Jesse Lyu who put the device through its paces in a recent YouTube video.
During the video, Lyu put the Humane AI Pin up against his company’s Rabbit R1 to see how the two devices compare in terms of design, functionality and most importantly, usability. Although the Rabbit R1 had a 5-second lead over the Humane AI Pin when answering many of the questions Lyu asked, there were a few where both devices took around the same time to respond.
Lyu then decided to test whether these devices an recognize and identify objects using their respective cameras. It’s worth noting that while the Rabbit R1 has a viewfinder so that you know exactly what its camera is looking at, the Humane AI Pin doesn’t have a screen at all. Instead, you need to take a picture and then use its projection screen on your hand to see if you have the right framing. It was in this section of the video (embedded above), that Lyu points out the weirdest problem with the Humane AI Pin yet.
“You have to make sure you practice how to tap on the AI Pin without touching your nipples. That’s a real challenge I can tell you. Think about it, I’m lefty right, I wear [it] like this. No one told me where to put it. This is like human nature, I put it here. My nipple is right here and dude [if] I tap like that right, touching my nipple. I tap like this, touching my nipple. No one ever thought about this. I’m telling you, it’s super important. You have to practice the hand gesture like that not to touch your nipples.”
All joking aside, Lyu does bring up a valid point when it comes to the practicality of using the Humane AI Pin. Unlike the Rabbit R1, which is a handheld device for the most part, you’re going to be wearing the Humane AI Pin while using it. However, David Pierce noted in his review for The Verge that he actually preferred holding the device in his hand instead of having it clipped onto his shirt.
AI wearables are still finding their footing
At a time when the world is just coming to terms with using ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, it makes sense that the first wave of AI wearables have some kinks that need to be ironed out.
Fortunately though, the best fitness trackers and the best smartwatches have already done most of the heavy lifting when it comes to getting people comfortable with the idea of wearing electronic devices and not just carrying them around.
While the Humane AI Pin definitely has a steep learning curve both in terms of how you use the device as well as how you wear it, another upcoming AI wearable might have a better chance of being successful. The Limitless Pendant can be attached to your clothes using its magnetic clasp but you can also wear it like a necklace if you don’t want anything stuck to your clothes. Likewise, instead of having a camera, the Limitless Pendant only comes equipped with a microphone since it’s designed to listen along during your meetings and throughout the day. It then uses AI to turn these recordings into transcriptions, meeting notes and action items for your to do list.
Though there are now AI-powered pins and pendants, there’s also a better way to experience the world through the lens of AI. The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are smart glasses first and foremost but they also have the new Meta AI assistant built-in which can be used to take notes, do quick calculations and even generate text.
It’s going to take some time for these AI-powered devices and wearables to become as common as the Apple Watch but at least early adopters already have several choices as to how they want to interact with and use AI during their day to day lives. And if an AI-powered wearable isn’t for you, there’s always the phone in your pocket.
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