Humane's head engineer defends its Ai Pin against scathing reviews, but admits it's 'frustrating sometimes'

• Humane's Ai Pin received some harsh reviews, sparking a response from its designer on X.
• Head of product engineering, Ken Kocienda, said people are jumping on the "skepticism bandwagon."

Humane's Ai Pin designer quickly defended the device after it was hit with several savage reviews.

The tiny machine is essentially a wearable smart device that lacks a screen. It already had some rough critiques after Humane started shipping the product this week.

Ken Kocienda, head of product engineering at Humane, fought back against critics in a lengthy X post on Thursday.

He said, "I feel that today's social media landscape encourages hot takes… and the spicier the better! Indeed, it's so easy to find people online who are willing to jump on the skepticism bandwagon to gape at the same things you're pointing at and poke holes in every little detail."

Kocienda said he uses the product "all the time" to ask questions and conduct web searches, but admitted that it can be "frustrating sometimes," just like his laptop and smartphone.

In what appeared to be an attempt to manage user expectations, he added, "There is no perfect product. The Ai Pin form factor is wonderful, and our new Ai operating system is a wonderful new landscape to explore, but it's not magic. Expect the same kind of ups and downs as your other tech."

The company has touted the device as a way for consumers to reduce their dependence on smartphones and an alternative to "typing away at a keyboard or scrolling away on a screen."

The idea of reducing screen time has attracted much attention recently, so there could certainly be a market for compact wearables that keep people connected without the need for a physical screen.

But a lot of techies don't seem convinced by this particular device.

The Verge was left unimpressed and described the product as "thoroughly unfinished" and "totally broken" in its review. It added that it wouldn't recommend anyone to spend $699 on it and pay $24 for its monthly subscription.

MrMobile, a YouTuber and tech reviewer, said it just "doesn't do enough yet."

Wired slammed it as "not that useful," while Engadget likened it to "giving someone a spork when they asked for a knife and fork: good enough to get by, but not a perfect replacement."

But Ray Wong, the deputy editor of tech reviews and guides at Inverse, thinks the hot takes are wrong. In an X post, he said, "The narrative of a new product needing to 'kill' or 'replace' another product with similar functionality is tired."

He added, "That's not how reality works. Laptops didn't kill desktops. Foldables haven't killed bar phones. Smartwatches haven't killed phones. Headsets aren't gonna kill laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets, or w/e."

A New York Times reviewer also said he liked the "chic aesthetic" and concept of the pin, although he was critical about other aspects.

Humane didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.