Humane, the company behind the panned AI-powered wearable pin, is seeking a buyer for a $1 billion. It held sale discussions with a few companies including the computer manufacturer HP.
A billion dollar price tag is steep for a company whose product very publicly flopped. The New York Times reported that it only sold 10,000 units of its AI pin as of April, far short of its target of 100,000 for the year. It began talking to prospective buyers only a week after negative reviews came out. And the bleeding hasn’t stopped: Last week, Humane instructed its customers to stop using its charging case because it could pose a fire safety risk.
But Humane is betting that its gadget, or the underlying technology that powers it, can still be of interest to companies eager to get a foothold — or some differentiating advantage — in the AI race.
Perhaps Humane’s pin will never be a wearable assistant … but maybe one day it’ll help your HP printer talk to you.