Revolutionizing Human-AI Interaction: Meet the Ex-Apple Duo Behind Humane and Ai Pin

San Francisco startup Humane, known for developing AI-powered devices, recently introduced the Ai Pin, a wearable gadget that has been hailed as a potential smartphone replacement. Unlike smartphones, the Ai Pin can perform various tasks without the need for constant user interaction or app downloads. Humane was established by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, a married couple who pursued their entrepreneurial aspirations after gaining experience at Apple. Let’s delve deeper into their background.

Who is Imran Chaudhri?

Imran Chaudhri is the chairman and president of Humane. But his journey began in 1995 when he first joined Apple. He worked in the company as a designer and before he left the company in 2016, served as the director of design. During his 20 years with Apple, he helped design some of the most beloved products, including the Macintosh, iPod, iPad, Apple Watch and iPhone. According to the Humane website, Chaudhry is “motivated by his insistence on prioritizing the human experience in the design process.”

Announcing Humane’s first product, Chaudhry said, “Ai Pin is the embodiment of our vision of integrating artificial intelligence into everyday life, enhancing our capabilities without overshadowing our humanity.”

Who is Bethany Bongiorno?

Bethany Bongiorno is the CEO of Humane. Just like Chaudhri, he also worked with Apple before starting entrepreneurship. He joined the company in 2008 and left it in 2016. For 8 years, Bongiorno was the head of software engineering. “She was responsible for all iOS and macOS software project management, and also played a key leadership role in delivering critical projects such as the launch of the original iPad. “Bethany is passionate about building and leading effective teams to solve complex problems,” states the Humane website.

What is Ai Pin?

The Ai Pin is a small box-like device with a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, an array of sensors, a speaker, a laser ink display, and a microphone. So it can see, sense, speak and listen.

It’s powered by an unnamed Snapdragon chipset and an AI engine that’s likely to be GPT-4, though the company won’t mention the name. It does, however, mention OpenAI and Microsoft in a press release, saying, “Humane’s unique collaboration with Microsoft and OpenAI gives Ai Pin access to some of the world’s most powerful AI models and platforms and lays the foundation for additional features as the technology evolves.”

Ai Pin is an independent device and does not need to be connected to a smartphone or any additional device. In a way, it looks like the device aims to replace the traditional way of using smartphones by removing apps that contain “AI experiences” and automating most of your tasks so you don’t have to look at the screen.