Buzz has been building around secretive tech startup Humane for more than a year, and now the company is finally offering a look at what it’s been up to. At TED last month, Humane co-founder Imran Chaudhri gave a demonstration of an AI-powered wearable the company is building to replace smartphones. Bits of the video leaked online after the event, but the full video is now available to watch.
The device looks like a small black puck that slips into your breast pocket, with a camera, projector, and speaker sticking out of the top. Throughout the 13-minute presentation, Chaudhri walks through several use cases for Humane’s gadget:
Chaudhri, who previously worked in design at Apple for more than two decades, pitched the device as a salve for a world covered in screens. “Some believe that AR/VR glasses like this are the answer,” he said, an image of VR headsets behind him. He argued that devices – like smartphones – put “an additional barrier between you and the world.”
Humane’s device, whatever it’s called, is designed to be more natural by avoiding the screen. The gadget works on its own. “You don’t need a smartphone or any other device to pair with it,” he said.
It’s an awesome demo and a neat idea. But it leaves a ton of open questions, from how realistic this demo is to how this device will actually fit into our lives:
Chaudhri said Humane will have more to share in the “coming months.” We look forward to learning more — and hopefully, getting more answers.