Humane, the tech darling with dreams of revolutionizing wearables with its AI Pin, is reportedly looking for a buyer after a rough launch. Just weeks after its debut, the company – helmed by Apple veterans Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno – is seeking a hefty price tag of $750 million to $1 billion, according to Bloomberg.

This ambitious asking price might be a tough pill to swallow considering the scathing reviews the $699 AI Pin has garnered. Critics have slammed the device for sluggish performance and a user experience far removed from the seamless, ever-present AI assistant promised by Humane. The idea was to wean us off our smartphones, but the reality seems far less appealing.

The AI Pin, powered by Humane’s custom CosmOS operating system, relies on a network of AI models to answer your voice queries and analyze what the built-in camera sees. Answers appear via a laser projection onto your inner palm – a novel touch, but requiring a monthly subscription to unlock the full functionality.

The report sheds light on Humane’s impressive fundraising – $230 million, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (rumored to be developing a rival AI product with Apple design legend Jony Ive) among the investors. In 2023, Humane boasted an $850 million valuation, a figure that seems a distant memory after the AI Pin’s critical drubbing.

While the AI Pin boasts some intriguing ideas, the software feels unfinished and inconsistent. Hardware issues like poor battery life and overheating further dampen the experience. Humane has pledged to fix these problems with software updates, even recently integrating OpenAI’s powerful GPT-4o model to boost the device’s intelligence.

Finding a buyer willing to meet Humane’s asking price might be an uphill battle. Tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are all heavily invested in AI, with large language models and generative AI taking center stage. It remains to be seen if Humane’s intellectual property holds enough value to justify such a hefty acquisition.