Sam Altman-backed startup Humane in talks with Indian telcos to launch the AI Pin

Sam Altman-backed startup Humane has started talks with Indian telecom operators to prepare for the launch of its Humane AI Pin device.

“We are starting early conversations with India telcos and hoping to be able to make announcements by the end of this year. The overwhelming number of inquiries that are coming to Humane are from India. It is the largest by far,” Imran Chaudhari, chairman and president at Humane, told Moneycontrol in an interaction.

Founded in 2017 by former Apple executives Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, Humane raised around $200 million from backers, including Microsoft, Qualcomm Ventures and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

The Ai Pin costs $699, with a recurring $24 monthly subscription giving users a phone number and unlimited data to power as many AI-powered queries as possible. T-Mobile serves as its launch partner in the U.S. market.

It recently announced plans for its first international market, inking a deal with South Korean carrier SK Telecom.

The AI Pin is a small device that can be clipped onto clothes or accessories. It uses a combination of voice, gesture, and touch inputs to allow users to access various AI services, including search, translation, navigation, and more.

Unlike conventional consumer tech products, the Ai Pin enables users to communicate with an AI chatbot through voice and laser ink technology.
Chaudhari said it is working with partners to develop various use cases. “One such case is in the medical space, where we are working with partners to use it for diagnosis using the contextual compute capability.”

He said that AI Pin is the new way to interact with the technology that allows further growth. “People want something new beyond smartphones…they want some presence and freedom. We're really on technology now, but it just takes us away. If we have a better way to integrate technology in our lives, most of us would want it.”

Chaudhari, however, said that the startup’s goal is not to disrupt the smartphone market, adding that the device is a companion device. “...it is designed so that it can complement smartphones. It is designed to allow you to liberate yourself from that…it is designed in a way that it’s people’s only device. Some people use it to have a better relationship with their device.”

He said that the global market has the scope for new advancements in how people interact with technology.