The Demise of Humane Ai Pin

The Humane Ai Pin, a $700 wearable device, was shut down by its manufacturer on February 28, 2025, leaving thousands of devices useless. The company, Humane, had announced that it would be shutting down its services and parting off some of its key AI components to HP.

The device, which was meant to be a smartphone replacement, had been a disappointment since its release in April 2024. Its main features did not work well, and the company had reached a point where it processed more returns than sales.

The Community's Response

A community of dedicated hackers, determined to keep their Pins alive, came together on Discord to find a way to revive the device. They discovered that the Pin runs an instance of Android as its OS, which means it could be debugged and have custom apps sideloaded onto it.

However, the Pin needed to be connected to a computer to do so, and since Humane's service was being shut down, wireless features wouldn't work. The community figured out how to uncover the hidden DIM connectors, which would enable a wired connection from the Pin to a computer.

One of the hackers, Marcel, managed to create a custom connection and obtained an internal certificate used by Humane employees, which granted access to the Pin. This sparked excitement in the community, with some members wanting to use the device as a smartphone replacement, while others wanted to explore its potential for other uses.

Implications and Controversies

The revival of the Humane Ai Pin has raised questions about intellectual property rights and the responsibility of manufacturers towards their customers. A Humane employee expressed frustration with the community's actions, stating that using proprietary access certifications without permission is an IP violation.

The community's efforts have also sparked a debate about the right to repair and modify devices, with some arguing that manufacturers should provide more transparency and support for their products, even after they are discontinued.