Imran Chaudhri, Humane co-founder and president, and Bethany Bongiorno, Humane co-founder and CEO, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the company's new wearable AI device, the Humane AI Pin.
There are always some nerd dorks with money who always buys trash like this. Just imagine a world where everybody is sensible enough to not to buy this trash
On the bright side it'll be a great future case study on charging too much for your product. It'll probably be talked about in business schools, startup accelerators, etc.
The subscription includes unlimited call and text as well as many other things. It's just like a smartphone, except you do it through them. It's not that wild actually.
I am seeing the founders struggle to answer consumer questions of their current behaviour and what the parallels are. It will turn out to be a second phone call, or another wearable . And it’s not something people want to necessarily carry around after the excitement runs out.
@tfkdandsvkc Horace Dediu, a Romanian-American analyst, brilliantly defined innovation as being best measured by impact...thus it is retrospective. Revolution cannot be achieved in a marketplace nor on the competition without government intervention (see the pushing of EVs and government emissions targets).
I see this being better as an extension to a phone vs a replacement cause there are very few people that can live without apps, social media, video, etc
Exactly… it should work with people’s current device and then build up to being a replacement of that device with later revisions. I certainly don’t need AI to tell me I have a txt msg from a trusted/favorited contact. Also hire some sales people to explain to me why I want this. Like what does it do with that txt msg? Does it auto reply? Telling me over and over that it’s AI doesn’t make me want it. Hell what kind of AI is it? Siri level or ChatGPT4 level? If you’re going the AI keyword sales pitch at least explain what kind of AI we’re dealing with.
This would be one of those Christmas presents that you act all impressed with to please the person who got it for you, then immediately return it for store credit.
Yes, venture capitalists in Silicon Valley seem eager to throw hundreds of millions at executives who have big-tech and elite private university pedigrees (especially if they dropped out of those universities!) based solely on product pitches made of meaningless jargon and which never address what problem they are solving. These products are novelties that just exist to exist, but no matter; the venture capitalists don't miss a few hundred million and they can write off the money as losses, and the executives who speak in Kellyanne Conway spin language pocket their profits and use the predecent of having raised money, combined with "lessons learned" from their failures, to talk richer investors into giving them more money for even more poorly considered ideas. It's amazing that the tech industry does create products like generative AI given the prevalence of scammers who either can't or are not interested in thinking through the designs of their products.
Cool device but consumers won’t buy this. It’s not simple enough and I’m sure it doesn’t do as much as an Apple Watch. With all the AI buzz recently, Apple is in great position to take over if they come out with their own competing AI system. They have the hardware out already, and they are designing their own chips.
My point is if apple comes out with AI on their phone that’s better, then this device becomes quickly obsolete. And It’s really that simple. But it’s only the beginning, anything can happen.
Absolutely brilliant! It's fascinating how they've transformed a simple app on a watch into a standalone device, and then marketed it at a price higher than the watch itself! 😄 Truly a clever strategy in the tech world.
The first thing I saw projected on her hand was an actual watch-like time display. My first thought on seeing this was: why not just look at my f.’n watch? 😊
Indeed. Even with simple and straightforward questions, CEO couldn’t answer them! How ironic. The take away for me from the video is, “only AI knows”. Lol
These guys need a good sales guy. They are terrible at explaining what this gizmo does. The answer to everything is “it does just about anything you want”
@@jessebennettpodcastYes but according to Elon, the Neuralink is at least 10 years away from arriving to regular consumer brains. Elon 10 years might be 15 years away. The device in this video is for right now.
His wife really needs to take the marketing lead. He's a great designer being he worked at apple but his style is so "head up his own ash" he comes off detached from reality or as if he's only talked to ai for the past 5 yrs. Like he never been to a 7/11.
While considering the device's usage in various scenarios, I have reservations about its functionality and convenience. For instance, how effective is it when I'm in the bathroom, or at the swimming pool, where it might be exposed to water and humidity? Additionally, I have doubts about its comfort and stability during physical activities, such as running, where constant movement could cause it to shake on my chest. Observing the founders' responses to these practical concerns, it appears they might not have conducted thorough market research or consumer analysis before committing their resources to this project. This oversight leads me to question the device's potential to become a mainstream gadget or a viable alternative to smartphones. Given these factors, I am hesitant to invest in this product, and I'm concerned about the company's long-term sustainability in the market if these issues aren't addressed.
These principals unfortunately either are not selling a great product or else they are not equipped to sell their great product very well. The two interviewers asked surprisingly probing questions throughout (usually these types of segments are straightforward promotions, so kudos to the hosts for doing more than selling) the interview and just about all the developers said was that "it's AI powered and it does all the heavy lifting," without really explaining what it can be used for in any detail, or what the advantage is over a smartphone. It was awkward to see the laser projection on the guy's hand; that kind of flickering, monochrome display looks like a futuristic projection as imagined in the 90s, and it looks archaic compares with vibrant handheld device screens today. The interviewers had to ask repeatedly to understand how it notifies the user-does it vibrate? Does it make an announcement? The developer said it illuminates, but he didn't explain how that is better than vibrating or beeping if the wearer is in a bright place and not looking down toward their lapel where the button is located. Does the wearer rely on someone else telling them that the device down below their line of vision is blinking and they should...check their hand lasers in case it's an emergency? It just wasn't a very good demonstration of whatever the product is in my opinion. If the product was undersold because the company principals aren't good communicators, then that is one thing, and they should hire a spokesperson to represent them publicly before they confuse potential customers with too many media appearances. If the device actually has limited use and that is why they can only speak in vague generalities, then they should consider selling with the story you describe: that this is not a smartphone, it is more limited by design, and the intention is to interrupt and break the addictive cycles most people have found themselves in with their smartphone. An interview based on that scenario would have gone much better. When the interviewer said, "with my phone, I can sneak a peek at it under the table; how can I do that with your product?" the answer could have been, "That's the point. Many people are addicted to their phones and can't resist sneaking peeks during important functions such as meetings at work. It's disruptive to productivity and more importantly, the way these devices have been developed takes advantage of neuroscience by targeting your brain's addictive potential and making us all obsessively addicted to our phones. It's not healthy to look at Instagram or Twitter or TikTok every minute to check for an update. Our device can ease people out of that addiction comfortably. The difference is that we feel compelled to check in with our phones constantly so we don't miss anything important, and in reality less than one percent of what we discover when we check is important. Our AI operating system quickly learns what and who is important and instead of you manually checking every moment to make sure nothing important has happened, you can count on our AI to alert you discreetly when something important has happened. We developed this device without a screen intentionally to stop the compulsion of looking at a screen. Addiction is less convenient with our device and actual productivity and personal time and life management is more convenient. We created this device to enrich lives and free people's minds from the shackles of electronic device dependency." That would be a good sell, if any of it is true, but all they sold in this interview is that it's new, it's wearable, it has LASERS!, it's AI powered, and it does the heavy lifting, whatever that means. Does it have the full capability of an iPhone? Why did they eliminate a screen feature from their device? Why laser projection on the hand instead of a screen? What advantages does it have over an iPhone, beyond 'heavy lifting'? Why is it not a new spin on Google Glasses that bombed years ago? Does it work with social media and gaming, the primary reasons many people are addicted to their phones, or is it intended for a different type of user? Does it work with things like online banking? Can the lasers be programmed to music so people can replice dance club and concert environments in their conference rooms?? So many unanswered questions! So many squandered opportunities.
Damn. I was convinced this was a bad product but you convinced me it has there’s actually some benefit to it. You explained and sold it better than they did.
This is brilliant. How you were able to spot opportunities to sell this product from the questions asked is ingenious. You should definitely apply as a spokesperson, you’ll sell the product better than they have. The product needs to be repositioned and a better story needs to be told.
@@joelejinkeonye3018 Thanks. I work in nonprofit communications and I've been a writer in some form or another all my life. I have a hunch these executives want to be front-and-center in their communications, though. The primary hook that seems to have gotten them booked on the show is that they are former Apple developers-so, the sell is the executives and not the product itself. (That might be a red flag for any potential consumers.) The execs' answers to the questions also suggest to me that product development, including the questions asked from conception that the product was developed to answer, needed far greater contemplation than the publicity of the final product does. I was really struck by the repeated emphasis of "it does the heavy lifting" throughout this interview. That is as vague as vagueness can be for any product that theoretically exists to meet a need, and at the same time it is a kind of cluelessly confident corporate executive-speak that suggests to me these executives may not know any better. I have known *a lot* of top-level executives who have had long careers making very high salaries and winning industry awards for doing nothing at all-nothing *at all*-but traveling around, meeting with peer executives and funders, and speaking in hyperbolic meaningless jargon. This is how Elizabeth Holmes raised record capital and built an empire-entirely on hollow language. She was imprisoned in part because she was a one-woman empire-accountability rarely happens to men; they take the money and run with disaster in their wake, and 'fail upward'-and it appears to be what both of these executives are doing. Besides "it does the heavy lifting," the emphasis on lasers feels like a red flag because lasers don't actually *do* anything when they are used only for optical viewing. The laser is not a core function of the product; it's a nifty feature to those who think laserbeams are futuristic and edgy, maybe. And there are probably a few hundred thousand people over age 65 who think that. But what problems are the lasers in this product solving? None; they're actually creating a useability problem. So ultimately, anyone who is a spokesperson for this product will need to be a Kellyanne Conway-type huckster who is eager and willing to con people rather than a brand ambassador who "gets" what the product is meant to do and is excited to make it known to the world. In my current role in communications, I work on communications strategy, which involves program and product planning and design and not as much on selling. It's referred to as "strategic communications," and I thought that title was kind of BS-sounding originally but my boss explained that I had always been most useful in asking probing questions to think through the "why are we doing this?" the "what is the need?" and the "where are the opportunities?" up front. This was not really my job, but it was necessary because the executives who had all the brainstorms and created efforts to be sold didn't think through or refine their ideas and promoting bad ideas is doomed to fail both the new product/service and the brand overall. Sometimes effective communications begins on the front end, asking and answering the questions during the design period that will be the rationales for selling once the work is done. It seems the executives in this video did not do the former part and are discovering here that the latter part is impossible with a poorly designed product that doesn't fill a need. That type of product is a novelty, and short of time-tested hand buzzers and whoopie cushions, novelties have niche audiences and don't sustain businesses.
@@pokerface12309 Thanks...I think there may be some benefit to the limitations inherent in the product design if those limitations are intentional. But given how the executives tried to sell the product, I am not convinced the limitations are intentional. My sense is that the executives wanted to go out on their own from Apple and be tech entrepreneurs, they had a basic idea, they got financial investments, they ran ahead with the idea without any diligent design planning processes, and they rushed a flawed and poorly considered product to market for quick sales. It looks to me like their ambitions got the better of them, and I expect the product will not sell well. However, because of their pedigrees, I also suspect that billionaire investors will probably continue to give them hundreds of millions of dollars after their jargon-filled pitch meetings and they will become filthy rich without offering anything worthwhile, and will be paid a lot of money to write and speak about how much they learned from failure and how you can, too.
The love the idea, but its projection feature could compromise privacy by displaying personal information publicly and is an issue for me personally! It seems more fitting for commercial use, like in warehouses for inventory management or product scanning, hospitality management, healthcare, and could efficiently replace traditional walkie-talkies or data devices in law enforcement and military operations, much like the Comm Badge in 'Star Trek'. Any job that requires communication, cameras/optics, scanning, etc. However, as a personal communication tool, its potential privacy issues make it less appealing...
@@MrCrazytatics the text that it's projecting is bigger than on a smartphone making it easier to see, not only that smartphone nowadays have screen protector glass that block any attempts to read it from distance and angles. Another thing is smartphones on low brightness are difficult to read compared to the bright illuminating projector text from this device.
Ever seen the device that nurses use in hospitals? It’s entirely voice interfaced. This device in the video reminded me of it. I think it can be useful in specific jobs/situations but general population won’t buy it.
It would’ve been nicer if they had said, it’s an AI personal assistant that it’s always on and it helps you stay organized. Instead of saying it does what a cell phone does but with a crappier screen and you don’t have to open chat GPT
Totally agree. Why market it as competition to cell phones when you can market it as wearable AI personal assistant. That description just seems more accurate and appealing.
Not to mention the price tag and a subscription to boot. Granted most pay double or triple this price for the latest smartphone but they can SEE and hold the phone, SEE and touch the screen, and interact with apps. This may be the "start" of something big or it may just be another GFI that goes nowhere. The other factor is MANY smartphone users watch videos, shows, and movies on smartphones and tablets. This device as presented can't replace that convenience.
Another key thing that they didn’t mention is that the AI Pin requires a SEPARATE number and you can’t use your current number. Having to give everyone another new number to reach your AI pin is incredibly annoying.
Listen to what your complaining about my friend , it’s a smartphone as a chip it’s a replacement for your smartphone your gonna need a new number because your giving up the smartphone
How good is the camera and sound ?? Can we use it when my both hands are tied up, or may be in a sport like skateboarding or can I create a reel, how compatible is it ??? 🙄
I feel otherwise; and feel sorry for the folks who didn’t invest in A. I. technologies. Very much like with Tesla stocks; the general consensus was that Tesla would go under in six months tops - and yet here we are today they are one of the most extremely profitable investments and their business is growing exponentially.
@@Luibloncthey should have invested in AI like chatgpt instead of this ping using chatgpt and selling it for 700 dollars being worst than an apple watch
Load of nonsense. Terrible value propisition and sales pitch - all he says its AI powered. For someone who worked at Apple, did he not learn anything from steve jobs? YOU DONT START WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AND WORK BACKWARDS TO THE CUSTOMER!!!!
“How is getting notifications from the AI pin any better than a watch?” “So it’s ai powered” Bruh, they don’t even have the humility to say it’s just another medium of accessibility… they, without any justifiable reason, just envision the AI pin to replace every digital device we have now because it’s “Ai PowErEd”
If they can’t clearly tell you what this can do and how it should be used I’m confused how this takes off. It sounds like if you have the watch or the head phones or a phone and this is doing the same thing. I just don’t get it.
I think where this could thrive is it can be more readable than a watch. It's AI can figure out how big it needs to project the screen depending on the size of the reflecting surface. Let it be a hand or a paper or even a screen. Phones and watches are all trying to find ways to enlarge the screen without killing practicality and this could be it if adjusted correctly with improved projector technology
@@BK-pc3eiheck no.. you have to pick up a phone. This one you don’t. You can take photos as a journalist discreetly. In times of danger 911 can know without you having to go for the phone. The fact that it uses your hand or another surface means you can watch a movie in bed in the dark without holding it or using a tinier screen. Phones break screens it won’t. It will come in really handy for lecturers if they could connect to everyone’s device and this hands or surface. Car navigation in the dark? Right on the windshield. It’s light. It can serve as an AirTag. If you watch the whole interview you can see it translate to any language in real time which feels dumb on a phone. Like just meet someone and start talking. And it will tall them what you saying and vice versa without having to put your phone close to them. I could mention it’s applications all day. These are just not marketing Gurus clearly.
It’s basically a real life copy of the new 32nd century tricorder/combadge they came up with in Star Trek: Discovery, but without any of the real life tech to power it that actually makes it happen the way it does in TV show special effects. Kind of a fail all around that is many years away from possibly being ready honestly.
Trust light is a great thing. And it’s actually built-in, which is really good. The bottom line is $800 plus a subscription what like 33 bucks a month after fees and taxes to send and receive messages. A smart phone for the same amount of money has just so many more use cases. I wish them luck
I was on board to get this until I had a thought that this has got to be bad sitting on your chest and at times over your heart for extended periods of time. Imagine with what we know about cell phones no one would hold their cell phone over their heart 24/7. I find it hard to believe they have tested the effects to the heart or lungs with this sitting on your chest all day.
The concept is actually rather brilliant for those wanting to disconnect from the black mirror digital drug that is the smartphone. It's tech that brings the old world of the pre-smartphone era back, a more (hu ma ne world) while reaping the benefits of most of the tech we have in smartphones and smartwatches. Over time products like this will catch on, especially as AI advances and becomes more capable and the rise of AI personal assistants/companions on these types of devices takes hold. The founder is a poor speaker and poor marketer of what's definitely a niece product at the moment but overtime will lead to a better functioning happier society with tech fading into the background and importantly no digital dopamine drugs and echo chambers aka social media! Price will also come down, it's a big tradeoff where you must think critically about what you gain from such a device as this AI pin! You'll gain your humanity and sanity back! Solid product poor execution in price and poor communication skills of the two developers here. Give it a few years and this product will see adoption, or similar products!
It would be a great device for the elderly and disabled, save for the ridiculous price and the 24$ monthly for the sh*t they won’t want or can’t use. If it’s AI, it should be easy to personalize the thing to meet specific needs.
@@P.Aether Older people (and younger people) who have strokes, MS, and other disabling factors that are not interested in learning how to use a smartphone. That’s who. My 80 yr old Aunt, who is disabled from a stroke, hauls her “heavy” smartphone around in a CVS bag hooked over her walker. Does that sound better and safer to you?
There is a market for this. Redesign it as a hands free radio for the military, construction sites, etc. Anywhere you want more people to have access to radios with a small form factor.
This interview is hilarious because the sane people in the room are actually the news reporters in this case. It's like they 're interviewing a mentally deranged person. This happens when the founder is such an isolated computer savant that he has no clue about the wishes of the common person in society.
Is this an interrogation panel. They seem to be asking questions to downplay the product rather than letting it breathe. From idea to product is a big deal and these guys have accomplished it.
Lmao. 3 mins into the video. The CEO keeps saying “it’s powered by AI & again powered by AI & again powered by AI” and when asked what so special with this AI compare to others. CEO answered, it can send text, etc HAHAHA I guess what we didn’t do prior to the interview. Getting clarification what their AI stands for. It could be simply just “AI as in Additional Information”. Unlike the “real” AI we’re anticipating. I guess they’re not aware this is an opportunity to sell to the market and convince. Rather than just an interview. They just blew the chance
But they really didn’t put their heart in it. Their pitch video is full of mistakes and buzz words that don’t explain anything to the point they disabled the comments on it.
This is the future and Humane are the first to have actually brought something exciting and practical. A technology which from first impressions seems questionable is exactly the thing that will change the future of the wearable tech market. I can't wait when this is out in Britain, and as soon as people realise how useful and productive this thing is, people will feel annoyed realising how their lives were being spent watching a screen so obsessively, and how much they missed seeing their real life around them and not being able to be in the moment creating beautiful memories. The name "Humane' is so apt as such a device will make us humane again, indeed. A beautiful product from such a beautiful couple. God bless.
