Humane recalls Charge Case accessory for the Ai Pin due to fire risk

The Humane Ai Pin is a wearable wearable gadget that launched earlier this year to a chorus or reviews that largely amounted to “this thing is overpriced, doesn’t work very well, and could probably have just been an app.”

As if that wasn’t bad enough, this summer the company told customers to stop using the charging case that comes with the pin because it might catch fire. Now Humane has gone a step further and worked with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a voluntary recall.

In a nutshell, everyone who has a Charge Case Accessory for the Humane Ai Pin should stop using it because the lithium ion battery inside the case can overheat and cause the device to melt while charging. According to the CSPC “no injuries or property damage have been reported” though.

Customers that want to take advantage of the voluntary recall can contact Humane to request a full refund or a replacement charging case… which will “be available in approximately 3 to 6 months,” and which will presumably not catch fire unexpectedly. Humane says the problem is related to “battery cells used in the Charge Case Accessory” and “not related to its hardware design.”

Those who bought the Charge Case as a standalone product are entitled to $149 refunds, while those who got theirs as part of an Ai Pin Complete System will get $129.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this recall though is the fact that the CSPC notes “about 10,500” units are affected, which should give you a rough idea of how many Humane Ai Pin devices have been sold, since the case was bundled the Ai Pin at launch.

Honestly, I’m a little surprised that number is as high as it is… but it’s clearly not high enough for Humane. The company recently slashed prices by $200 in an attempt to make its product a little more attractive. And Humane is reportedly shopping around for companies that might be interested in buying it.