Humane has told owners of its Ai Pin device to stop using its charging case “immediately” because it “may pose a fire safety risk.”
The warning was sent in an email sent to owners on Wednesday that was seen by The Verge. It comes just two months after the $700 gadget started shipping, and follows a slew of reviews in which it was widely panned for falling short of the maker’s promise to act as an AI-powered digital assistant.
Humane explained that it had inspected the case after receiving a report about a charging issue. The inspection uncovered an anomaly with the battery cell inside the case, prompting Humane to contact customers “out of an abundance of caution.” A third party supplied the battery, and Humane has since cut ties with the firm. A new supplier is now being sought, it said.
The Ai Pin, the magnetic Battery Booster, and the charging pad are not affected, and so owners are still able to recharge the Ai Pin.
The company has yet to confirm if it will offer a replacement charging case, saying only that it will share additional information following further investigations. However, as a result of the disruption, Humane is offering customers two free months of its $24-a-month subscription service, which is needed to use the device.
“While we know this may cause an inconvenience to you, customer safety is our priority at Humane,” the company said in its email to customers. “We design Ai Pin and related accessories with safety top of mind, and rigorously test and certify them to applicable U.S. and international safety standards.”
Tech Reader has reached out to Humane for more information on the matter and we will update this article when we hear back.
The Ai Pin offers a range of AI-powered experiences that are on the device and in the cloud, and there are no apps as such. You attach the device to your top and interact with it via touch, talk, gesture, and a laser ink display that projects information onto your palm. There was much excitement around its launch but multiple reviews claimed for the most part it failed to live up to expectations.
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