AI Devices Get A Rude Wake-Up Call; A Mysterious OpenAI Product Event Is Likely Postponed

It’s been hard to miss the absolute beating AI-powered devices have gotten in recent weeks.

First, we saw YouTuber Marques Brownlee’s scorching review of the $699 Humane Ai Pin, which he deemed the “worst product” he’s ever reviewed. (Yikes.)

Next, the rabbit r1, a kitschy, bright-orange handheld device that first went viral when it launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, came under fire as its founders were accused of being crypto grifters and lying about how much AI the device actually used. (Brownlee described the rabbit r1 as “barely reviewable.”)

In another example, Rewind, which has developed an AI-powered pendant that records users’ conversations, has pivoted its focus. Last month, a year after landing in headlines for a unique fundraising approach that garnered it a $350 million valuation, the startup rebranded to “Limitless.” It’s now an enterprise-focused company emphasizing business use cases, such as recording and summarizing work meetings. That’s a far cry from its original mission to “give humans superpowers” by recording all of their interactions.