Opinion

The AI Pin.
Not a product review.

We've all seen this movie before.
Fantastic technology, extraordinary features - for an untrained eye, a solution in search of a problem to solve.

Is the AI pin a great product?
See for yourself: https://humane.com/

Whatever we saw in the presentation looked amazing. But that's the role of a presentation in a novelty context.
From the technology perspective? It's a wonder.

Is this a device for the masses?
This form has yet to have any context (read market).
This fantastic device has arrived early, too early.

The effort to create context and a market for this device is enormous.

Hu.ma.ne might succeed in creating a niche. Is that niche going to be big enough to support the product? Will they be able to own that? There is only one way to find out.
The survival of a device like this requires deep pockets—deep trenches filled with cash and interest—to create, define, and survive in its category.

The current core product is difficult to position, but that's a job for the market. The customers will tell them precisely what the positioning is, but they need guidance—that's what I think is missing.
I, for one, can't make sense of it. And I'm a fan of technology (I still hope we get rid of screens, keyboards and mice in my lifetime).
Based on the funds they've raised, Humane must have a solid pitch for investors. Now, they need a better one for marketing and sales.

The actual product has a steep learning curve - I'm not talking about learning the interaction; they've got that.
I'm talking about changing habits and convincing people to speak in public with a thing on their chest.

I'm talking about convincing people not to look at a screen every 20 seconds. 
There's a lot to beat.
To beat 15 years of quietly typing the most intimate thoughts or scrolling through garbage searching for truth, love, meaning or all of the above.
To replace the dopamine extracted by endless streams of content.
To ask the customers to live outside of the economy of attention. [This could be a differentiator, and they can/should capitalise on that.]
So, it's a big ask. 

The AI Pin ecosystem (or the augmented product) is built around AI, and with all its promoted benefits, that's not enough - not yet.
The tech might be ready to enter, but the market category still needs to be created, and the consumers still need to arrive in this new context.

We are here, distracted, addicted, and bored at the same time.
Give us something to disrupt our poor habits around screens, and we will join you.
I wonder what the [market] response will be to this proposition. I should revisit this in a few months.

Before that, good luck, Humane, you'll need it!
This is a tough nut to crack.

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Copyright © Alin Buda. All rights reserved. Trademarks, brands and some of the images are the property of their respective owners.
Some images were sourced from Pexels™ and Unsplash™.
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