Humane's AI Pin returns are outpacing daily sales

Shortly after Humane launched its hyped $699 AI Pin this April, the gadget ran into a harsh reality: more people wanted to get rid of it than buy it.

Between May and August, daily returns of the AI Pin actually outpaced new purchases, according to internal sales data obtained by The Verge. By June, only about 8,000 units were still in customer hands. Today, that number has fallen closer to 7,000.

Million-dollar returns and an e-waste disaster

Humane was founded by ex-Apple veterans Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno and raised over $200 million from high-profile backers like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. The company originally planned to ship roughly 100,000 Pins in its first year.

Instead, total lifetime sales of the device and accessories have reached just over $9 million across roughly 10,000 shipped units. Around 1,000 orders were canceled before even shipping, and over $1 million worth of hardware has been returned.

Here is the kicker: Humane reportedly cannot refurbish and resell returned units. Due to an operational limitation with its partner carrier T-Mobile, once a Pin is registered to a user account, Humane currently cannot reassign it to someone else. That effectively turns returned units into expensive electronic waste sitting in storage.

A Humane spokesperson disputed the report, claiming there were inaccuracies in the financial data, but declined to provide specifics and referred the matter to legal counsel.

Ignored alarms and an executive exodus

Warning signs were flashing well before the public launch. Early testers, including founders' family members, investors, and staff, complained that the Pin was disorienting and failed to replicate the flashy features seen in demo videos. One insider noted that the early feedback ripped through the company like a bullet, yet leadership pushed ahead anyway.

When reviewers finally got the device, the reception was brutal. Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee famously dubbed it the worst product he had ever reviewed.

Now, the company is bleeding talent. Customer experience director Tori Geiken recently disappeared from company Slack without formal notice to her team. Other key leaders, including VP of engineering Jeremy Werner, former CTO Patrick Gates, and head of product engineering Ken Kocienda, have all departed since the start of the year. Humane is currently negotiating convertible debt with existing investors to keep the lights on, while reports suggest HP has kicked the tires on a potential acquisition.

Why it matters

If you were ever curious about buying a standalone wearable AI badge, this is a clear sign to stay far away. Paying $699 upfront alongside a monthly wireless fee for a sluggish, overheating device that struggles with basic queries makes zero sense for everyday users.

For the broader tech ecosystem, Humane's collapse is a reality check for the generative AI hardware frenzy. Building a brand-new ambient computing form factor from scratch while trying to replace the smartphone is an extraordinarily steep hill to climb. Attempting it with severe thermal limits, zero screen, and unpredictable cloud latency borders on wishful thinking.

We think Humane's biggest misstep was shipping an unready concept while failing to build the basic operational plumbing needed to survive a consumer hardware launch. Tying device activation so rigidly to a carrier that returns instantly turn into unsellable scrap is an unforgivable supply chain oversight. Ex-Apple pedigrees and $200 million in venture funding can buy plenty of hype, but they cannot rescue a gadget that fails to solve a single real-world problem well.