Humane, the wearable startup behind the Ai Pin, has faced a significant organizational shake-up ahead of the highly anticipated launch of its groundbreaking AI-powered wearable, resulting in the layoff of 10 employees, which accounts for 4% of its workforce.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the decision comes amid leadership announcements of budget cuts in 2024, Engadget reported.
The Ai Pin
Humane, founded by former Apple executives Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, has gained attention for its game-changing product, the Ai Pin, a wearable AI assistant set to redefine the realm of personal technology.
The company, which has received over $200 million in funding from prominent Silicon Valley investors, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, recently unveiled the Ai Pin, which will be available in March for $699.
The Ai Pin is a game changer, a versatile AI companion that responds to voice commands, projects information onto the user's hand, and uses AI-powered optical recognition via an integrated camera.
According to the founders, the device's quad-core Snapdragon processor and Cosmos OS software "quickly understands what you need, connecting you to the right AI experience or service instantly."
However, recent layoffs have cast a dark cloud over the company's upcoming launch. According to The Verge, employees were informed of the budget cuts, indicating the need for cost-cutting measures.
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Humane Execs on Recent Layoffs
Despite CEO Bethany Bongiorno's claim that the layoffs were part of a larger organizational refresh, sources said they were communicated verbally and in writing.
When asked for a statement, Bongiorno took to LinkedIn to share information about the company's evolving structure. She announced that founding CTO Patrick Gates would step down to an advisory role, emphasizing that the move would allow him to spend more time with his family.
Bongiorno also emphasized the importance of promoting new heads of hardware, software, and other key positions as part of the reorganization.
While Humane's leadership frames the layoffs as a proactive measure, they raise concerns about the company's financial health and readiness for the upcoming product launch.
Critics argue that such workforce reductions will impact the company's ability to deal with potential challenges and customer support demands associated with the release of Ai Pin. Humane's Ai Pin has sparked considerable interest, promising to change how people interact with technology.
As demonstrated in a recent video, its ability to interpret nuanced voice commands, display information on the user's hand, and perform AI-driven tasks has piqued the interest of tech enthusiasts. However, with only a few current reviews, the Ai Pin's real-world performance is still unknown.
