I was looking at the launch of a new product recently – the Humane AI Pin and it reminded me of the challenge purchasing new learning technologies.

The AI Pin is a wearable electronic badge. It works primarily through voice and can make calls, sending messages, respond to questions, take videos, pictures, and take notes. It doesn’t have a screen but a laser projector which displays on your hand. It is fully mobile and syncs to a web location where you can collect all the activity you’ve created.

I was looking at it out of interest and thought through the use cases:

• If I want to make a call, I’ll use my phone.
• If I want to send a text message through an app, I’ll use my mobile.
• If I want to take a quick video and send it to someone I’ll use my mobile.
• If I want to order a car, a meal, or some shopping I’ll use a mobile.

The mobile is the go to device for me and pretty much everyone already. This new tech has some smart features but is something which works in parallel to existing devices, and isn’t integrated into common day to day activity and workflows. The data it captures isn’t synced with existing platforms or tools, but stored elsewhere. It doesn’t host apps, just contacts.

Sound familiar?

It’s almost exactly like the LMS/LXP which sits alongside your existing systems, processes, and technology in the workplace. It’s a separate activity for someone to log into when they want to ‘learn’ when thay already have dozens of existing channels they can use.

There was superb phrase in a review of the product:

Never buy a product based on the future updates to it

The Worst Product I’ve Ever Reviewed… For Now
Marques Brownlee

If you’re working in L&D and thinking about your learning technology stack there are LOTS of people telling you now how their product will/should/plans to do things in the future. Ask what it does now, not in some point in the future. Think about how people use technology now; what is your organisation’s mobile phone? Do people use your existing learning technology like an add-on device? If it isn’t a core part of their day to day, what can/could/should you do about it?

I’d be keen to hear people’s thoughts on this in the comments.