The Humane Ai Pin, poised to launch next year, caused a volcanic response throughout the social media landscape. And why wouldn’t it?
Humane claims that the Ai pin offers a screenless experience that is designed to replace our smartphones. It’s difficult to wrap your mind around. However, the Humane Ai Pin isn’t even out yet, and critics are already questioning its capabilities.
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Humane Ai Pin incorrectly answers two questions in demo
Hawk-eyed observers spotted the Ai Pin giving incorrect answers to two questions in Humane’s own promotional video.
Nearly four minutes into the demo, Humane cofounder Imran Chaudhri asked, “When is the next eclipse? And where is the best place to see it?”
In response, the Ai Pin said, “The next total solar eclipse will occur on April 8th, 2024. The best places to see it are Exmouth, Australia and East Timor.” The wondrous nerds of the internet wagged their little fingers at the Ai Pin, pointing out that the date is correct, but the location is wrong. The best place to see the next solar eclipse is not Australia, but certain parts of North America.
Humane AI Pin projecting into hands
Credit: Humane
Chaudhri, holding a handful of almonds, also asked the Ai Pin how much protein was sitting in his palm. The Ai Pin said, “These almonds have 15 grams of protein.”
However, as X user @thecreatornate pointed out, this isn’t quite right, adding that 15 grams of protein would be more accurate if Chaudhri was holding about 60 almonds.
Humane’s response to incorrect answers
In the company’s Discord server, Humane’s Head of New Media Sam Sheffer addressed the errors.
“There was a bug that incorrectly reported a viewing location of a previous eclipse (rather than the upcoming one),” Sheffer said. And as for the almonds flub, Sheffer said the following: “We stated the amount of protein for a half cup of almonds rather than the number in Imran’s hand.”
Do these errors spell trouble for the Humane Ai Pin?
Sheffer stressed that the launch video that features the two errors was created while the Ai Pin was running pre-release software. He claims that Humane has since resolved these issues. Plus, the video will be updated with correct replies in the near future.
“These issues (and the many more we find) between now and when customers get devices will be fixed as quickly as we discover them,” Sheffer said.
The truth is, if you’re an early adopter for any new technology, you’ll be the guinea pig for bugs and flaws at launch. Humane, if they play their cards right, will listen to early-bird buyers’ feedback and roll out software updates as well as better features for the next-generation model.
In other words, there’s a good chance you’ll see some foibles if you’re one of the first to snag an Ai Pin, but that’s no different than any other new, emerging product on the market.
If you’re interested in getting the Ai Pin, don’t let these minor snafus deter you — as long as you understand that you can’t expect total perfection from a first-generation product.
