Humane reveals screenless AI wearable that projects onto your hand

Imagine checking a text or taking a phone call not by pulling out a glass slab, but by holding out your palm and watching green light project the caller's name onto your skin.

On Thursday at a TED talk, former Apple designer Imran Chaudhri gave the world its first look at the secretive AI wearable his startup, Humane, has been building behind closed doors.

The device still does not have an official public name, but its ambitions are massive: it is completely standalone, requires no paired smartphone, and relies on voice, hand gestures, and an interactive laser projection system that turns hands or tables into screens.

A Star Trek badge in your pocket

During his presentation, Chaudhri wore the device peeking out of his jacket pocket. Daring Fireball's John Gruber noted it initially looked about two inches wide and one inch high, resembling a Star Trek communicator badge, though video clips suggest it might be slightly larger.

In one demo, Chaudhri spoke in English and the wearable instantly translated his words into French using his own voice.

Moments later, when his wife called, Chaudhri simply held out his open palm. A green interface beamed onto his hand showing the caller ID, which he answered using voice and gestures.

"This is good AI in action," Chaudhri told the audience, promising that much more information would drop in the coming months.

$230M and backing from Sam Altman

Humane has operated in stealth mode for years, but investors are clearly buying the vision of post-smartphone computing.

According to TechCrunch, the startup has raised $230 million to date, including a fresh $100 million round announced in March.

Its investor cap sheet reads like a tech dream team: Microsoft, LG Technology Ventures, SK Networks, Qualcomm Ventures, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, Tiger Global, Kindred Ventures, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Why it matters

For everyday consumers, Humane is selling a sci-fi dream: freedom from screen addiction without losing access to ambient computing. But you shouldn't throw away your smartphone just yet. Practical questions loom large, including how readable a green projection is under direct sunlight, how tired your arm gets holding up a palm screen, and how such a compact unit manages battery life and thermals.

For the tech industry, this is the first major hardware salvo designed from the ground up around generative AI rather than traditional operating systems. With OpenAI's Sam Altman and Microsoft in its corner, Humane is effectively testing whether large language models and ambient input can bypass the iOS and Android duopoly.

We think the radical bet to kill the screen is both its greatest hook and its biggest vulnerability. Projection onto uneven, moving surfaces like hands is notoriously finicky, and talking to your chest in public remains socially awkward. It looks brilliant on a TED stage, but whether it translates into a daily-driver device depends entirely on the specs and pricing Humane reveals next.