The AI Hardware Dilemma

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Over the past few weeks, new AI-powered hardware has been released to less-than-kind receptions—the Humane Pin was lampooned and the Rabbit R1 was skewered. While some people enjoyed the devices, it is safe to say these were not the launches the companies had hoped for. At the same time, other startups have raised millions in venture capital to build new consumer hardware devices. Investors I know are actively looking to deploy money into the category, and Sam Altman and Jony Ive are in talks to raise up to a billion dollars for a consumer hardware device.

This disparity raises so many questions: Why are these new devices being received so poorly? What do founders and investors believe they’ll get by betting their careers on this difficult and clearly uphill battle? Will their bets actually work?

To figure out the answers, I’ve been in the weeds with founders, talking product roadmaps, capital strategies, and levels of excitement. Here’s what I learned.