AI startup, Humane has unveiled plans for its entry into the international market through a partnership with South Korean carrier SK Telecom.
This announcement follows the delay in the shipping date of Humane’s Ai Pin device in the U.S. market, rescheduled from March to mid-April.
Founded in 2017 by former Apple executives Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri, Humane had secured over $200 million in funding from notable backers such as Microsoft,
Qualcomm Ventures, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. The core product, the “Ai Pin,” is a wearable device featuring sensors, generative AI capabilities, and a mini projector for displaying information on various surfaces.
The Ai Pin is priced at $699 upfront, coupled with a $24 monthly subscription offering users a phone number and unlimited data for AI-powered queries. This positions Humane as a mobile virtual network operator, with T-Mobile as its launch partner in the U.S.
SK Telecom has been enhancing its AI offerings, introducing a ChatGPT competitor named A.Dot in 2022 and expressing its aspiration to become a “global AI company” through partnerships worldwide. While the extent of SK Telecom’s reliance on CosmOS is not fully clarified, the collaboration with Humane is set to explore new subscription offerings and revenue opportunities for an appless OS and ecosystem in the Korean market.
The specific launch date for the Ai Pin in South Korea remains undisclosed.
