Humane’s new wearable AI demo is a fierce one — and we have a lot of questions

Buzz has been building secret tech company Humane for over a year, and now the company is finally giving a look at what it’s building. At TED last month, Humane co-founder Imran Chaudhary gave a presentation on the AI-powered wearable device the company is making as an alternative to smartphones. Portions of the video were leaked online after the event, however full video Available now to view.

The device appears to be a small black tablet that slips into a breast pocket, with a camera, projector, and speaker sticking out from the top. Throughout the 13-minute presentation, Chowdhury walks through a few use cases for the Humane tool:

Chowdhury, who previously worked in design at Apple for more than two decades, pitched the device as salve for a screen-covered world. “Some think AR/VR glasses like this are the answer,” he said, an image of a VR headset behind him. He said these devices — such as smartphones — put “an additional barrier between you and the world.”

The humanoid device, whatever it is called, is designed to be more natural by avoiding the screen. The tool works on its own. “You don’t need a smartphone or other device to pair with it,” he said.

It’s an impressive display and a neat idea. But it leaves a lot of open questions, from how real this demo is to how this device might actually fit into our lives:

Chaudhry says humanity will have more to share in the “next few months”. We look forward to learning more – and we hope to get more answers.