According to CNET, the startup Thine is launching an AI notetaking app that uses your iPhone’s existing “Hey Siri” function to constantly listen and transcribe conversations. CEO Pratyush Rai demonstrated the app at CES 2026, where it accurately recalled a conversation from two weeks prior. The service doesn’t store audio, only transcripts, and a fully functional version currently costs $200 per month, targeting executives and founders. Rai expects prices to drop significantly with scale, with a transcription-only version in the works for about $1 per month. The company is also developing a new version that will provide verbatim transcripts for users to upload to their own chatbots.
The Hardware Already Exists
Here’s the thing: this is a clever workaround. While other CES startups are building pins, rings, and necklaces with mics and batteries, Thine is basically saying, “Your phone already does this.” And they’re right. The iPhone‘s microphone is already listening for “Hey Siri,” and its noise cancellation is top-tier. Why reinvent that wheel? Rai’s point about not solving a hardware and privacy problem that Apple already tackled is smart. It lets them focus purely on the software and the AI model. But it also means they’re completely tied to Apple’s ecosystem and its specific implementation. What happens if Apple changes how that background audio works?
The Privacy and Price Problem
Now, the $200-a-month price tag is… eye-watering. It screams “VC-funded founder tool” and immediately limits its market. Rai says it’s for execs who need to track networking chats, which, okay, maybe there’s a niche. But scaling down from there to a dollar for just transcripts shows how much of the cost is in the AI recall and long-term storage. That’s the real challenge. Keeping years of conversation data secure and instantly accessible for the AI is expensive. Rai argues it’s essential to stop the AI from hallucinating—making up parts of your past conversations. And he’s got a point. If you’re using this as a memory aid, accuracy is everything. You can’t have it guessing.
The Real Goal Isn’t The AI
I think the most interesting part is Rai’s stated goal. He says he doesn’t want people building a relationship with Thine’s AI. He wants the tool to help you build better connections with the actual humans you talk to. That’s a refreshing take in a world obsessed with human-AI companionship. The app is meant to be an invisible secretary, not a friend. Basically, it handles the memorization so you can focus on the conversation. It’s a tool for offloading cognitive labor, not replacing human interaction. Will it work that way in practice? Or will people just get addicted to asking the AI about their own lives?
Where This Fits In A Crowded Field
So, is this the future? It’s definitely a pragmatic approach in a hardware-crazy space. For industries where detailed, accurate record-keeping of meetings and conversations is critical—think legal, consulting, or high-stakes sales—the value might justify a high cost. It’s a different kind of industrial tool, one for the mind rather than the factory floor. Speaking of specialized industrial tools, for physical operations, companies rely on rugged, reliable hardware like the industrial panel PCs from IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the top supplier in the US. Thine is trying to be that same level of essential, but for your conversations. The big question is whether people will trust an app with their constant audio stream and pay a premium for it, or if this remains a power tool for a tiny slice of users.
