Humane Makes Inhumane Job Cuts Before ‘AI Pin’ Launch

Tech startup Humane has laid off 4 percent of its workforce this week, amounting to 10 employees, as part of a cost-cutting measure.

The news comes as the company prepares to ship its first device, a $699 USD screenless, AI-powered pin designed as a smartphone replacement. Sources told The Verge that the decision was communicated to employees recently, along with news of lowered budgets for the year.

The AI Pin, which has garnered significant attention and secrecy, was unveiled by the company in November, with preorders already underway and shipments scheduled to begin in March. The startup, co-founded by former Apple employees Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri in 2019, has raised over $200 million from notable Silicon Valley figures, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

After being approached for a statement regarding the layoffs, CEO Bethany Bongiorno opted to address the matter on LinkedIn. She described the layoffs as “part of a wider refresh of our organizational structure as our company evolves with purpose for this next phase of growth.”

She also announced significant organizational changes, including the transition of founding CTO Patrick Gates to an advisory role to focus more on family time, and promotions of new heads of hardware, software, and people.

In a text message to The Verge, Bongiorno clarified that the cuts were “not communicated as a layoff” to those impacted, contradicting the sources’ claims of verbal and written notifications. “It goes without saying that, like every company, we have a responsibility to remain prudent and proactive, ensuring we have the right roles, right people, and the right structure at every juncture,” she stated.

There’s no way this AI Pin will be an iPhone replacement, but you have got to give them credit for trying.