Artificial intelligence (AI) startup Humane has announced the release of its AI Pin, an OpenAI-powered AI chatbot that users can wear on their clothing.

The release comes as the wearable tech industry and AI industry continues to boom.

The Silicon Valley startup, founded by ex-Apple employees who worked on developing the iPhone, says its $699 device can talk to users, as well as display text and images on their hand. 

Humane says the wearable AI chatbot completely removes the need for any home screen in technology and instead relies on a user’s touch and voice. The device is powered by ChatGPT creator OpenAI and cloud computing power from Microsoft.

Demonstrations have shown the device being used for messaging and calling, an inbox summary called “catch me up”, real-time translation and giving nutritional information about food by holding it up to the camera. 

According to Wired, the company said it intends to add navigation and shopping abilities in the future – as well as give developers ways to build tools on their own.

However, the main use for the device is AI. 

“Ai Pin is the embodiment of our vision to integrate AI into the fabric of daily life, enhancing our capabilities without overshadowing our humanity,”  Humane co-founder and President Imran Chaudhri said in a statement.

Humane has raised $241m from backers including OpenAI, Microsoft and more.

The wearable tech industry was worth $99.5bn in 2022, and will reach $290.6bn by 2030, according to research company GlobalData’s Thematic Intelligence: Wearable Technology (2023) report.

AI is becoming increasingly important in the wearables market which comes mainly from the demand for conversational platforms on the go, the research company said.