Biggest AI Failures of 2024

Let's learn from their mistakes

We talk about outstanding AI-related projects here all the time. However, there are always some failures in a young and developing industry.

Today, I invite you to look at the year ending and sympathize (or gloat?) with those who entered the race but failed. What's funny is that the list includes all categories, including gadgets, chatbots, digital influencers, and even medical devices.

And if you're in the mood for something opposite, we've got a post about the AI industry's top deals for November:

Key AI Startup Deals in November

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AI Gadgets

Everyone has heard about the failure of the first two AI devices introduced earlier this year. On the one hand, we should look at each case separately, but on the other hand, Humane and Rabbit Inc. have so much in common that they must be reviewed together. Consider this: both are Californian startups, both have developed gadgets, both have built their AI assistants, and both are set to hit the market in the first half of 2024. Oh, and both turned out to be huge disappointments.

If you want to know more about the specs of the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1, well... Why? Okay, here's a proper post:

Rabbit R1, AI Pin, and Apple Vision Pro vs Your Smartphone

Rabbit R1 was unveiled at CES 2024 as a unique and compact gadget. It offered its own Rabbit OS platform, which was supposed to work as a better analog to Siri or Alexa. The user was supposed to be able to solve any task with it, be it creating reminders, searching for information, or working with documents. AI Pin from Humane echoed this idea in almost everything.

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The main difference between them was the absence of a screen. Instead of it, the AI Pin offered a miniature projector that could display information in the palm of the user's hand or on the wall. Humane's founders said their gadget would be called upon to destroy the smartphone.

Meanwhile, the AI Pin itself was noticeably more expensive than the Rabbit R1: $699 (plus subscription) versus $199.

But the “pocket AI” victory was not destined to come true. When these gadgets went on sale, dozens of negative reviews appeared on social networks and the media. Reviewers quickly concluded that both devices were useless. Essentially, they were a pair of old Android smartphones with built-in AI assistants.

The bottom line is that sales for both startups failed.

For now, the companies are gradually reducing the cost of the AI Pin and Rabbit R1 and fixing their mistakes. But you can't change the past: both devs will be remembered as foolish attempts to turn the game around with trending technology.

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AI Chatbots

If AI gadgets are the newest category in which startups are screwing up, chatbots are the most popular. Even the biggest brands, including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google (especially Google), have gotten into silly stories where their models behaved inappropriately. So, picking a winner here is problematic.

Here are a few stories where AI has worked hard to ruin a brand's reputation.