It’s getting harder and harder not to dismiss the Humane AI Pin as one of tech’s all-time bad smells and cautionary tales. after reviews questioning why it existsreturns this exceeded sales and a warns that it is a Charge Case could pose a “fire safety risk,” the company is now recalling the latter. The problem stems from the case’s third-party vendor-supplied battery cells, which can cause overheating and a fire hazard.
Humanist placed It said Thursday it was carrying out the voluntary recall “out of an abundance of caution.” The startup says its charging case is the only accessory affected — not the battery booster, charging pad or the Pin itself. “The issue is with the battery cells used in the Charging Case accessory,” Humane wrote. “It has nothing to do with its hardware design.”
The company says one of its battery suppliers is to blame. “Our investigation determined that the battery supplier no longer met our quality standards and that battery cells supplied by this vendor could pose a fire hazard,” Humane wrote. The company says it has cut ties with the supplier and is currently evaluating a new one.
In fairness to Humane, the recall was (in their words) the result of an incident where a user connected it to a third-party USB-C cable and power source. He did not receive information about injuries and damages. As easy as it is to poke fun at an overhyped company dropping its other shoe, the least it can do is inform consumers and voluntarily recall it rather than trying to bury it for PR’s sake. Perhaps Humane can take inspiration from Samsung to bounce back from a burning product — and not in a good way.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) placed blurb about the recall in more detail. It says consumers who buy the Charge Case separately will get a $149 refund. Those who purchase the case as part of the Humane AI Pin Complete System will receive $129 back. Additionally, Humane will provide replacement refill boxes, but don’t expect them anytime soon: Estimated wait time is three to six months. The CPSC said about 10,500 units were affected.
Humane advises payment claim holders to “dispose of the product in accordance with any local and state laws” instead of throwing it in the trash. Presumably this is to avoid a literal dumpster fire to match the metaphorical one at Humane.
