Aina wants to make it easier to respond when an AI agent asks permission to act. Its titanium smart ring has a small display and joystick-like button for approving or rejecting requests without pulling out a phone. The device is built around a simple idea: if agents can take on tasks, people need a convenient way to give them direction.
A ring designed for quick decisions
Aina founder Apoorv Shankar expects people to interact with technology through approvals and rejections. An agent might ask whether to order an Uber or avoid a particular lunch spot. Reaching for a phone each time could interrupt the flow of the day, so the ring puts those choices within reach.
The display is there to show whether an action went through. Shankar says confirmation matters because agents may not respond immediately; seeing the result could help users trust that a request was carried out. A joystick-like control handles acceptance and rejection, while also doubling as a music playback control.
The ring connects to Macs or iPhones. Aina says its assistant uses personal data such as location, calendar and email to learn routines, and can connect to third-party services including Uber and Spotify through the Aina app.
Suggestions shaped by routines
Aina calls its proactive suggestions “Aina Cues,” powered by what it describes as a Context Aware Operating System. For someone who usually runs at 6 am, the ring might offer to resume a podcast from the night before or play music when they put on running shoes.
At 8:30 am, if the wearer usually takes an Uber to work, the ring could suggest a ride. A quick affirmative flick would let the assistant handle the task. If someone is running late for a Zoom meeting, it might ask whether to send an email explaining the delay.
The examples depend on the services and features that Aina supports. Shankar says people can also create their own Cues using natural language, such as a prompt to turn on a coffee machine every morning at 8 am. If a preferred app does not work through Aina, users can connect an AI agent such as Muse or Instinct, which can carry out tasks through virtual browsers.
More than approvals
The ring includes Aina Voice, which lets users speak to their AI agents by pressing the center button or ask the assistant to take notes. It also has a tiny speaker for phone calls: the call can be started with a voice command, then heard by bringing a hand to the ear.
Like Aina’s earlier Dune device, the ring can act as a context-aware remote. During a Zoom call on a Mac, it can offer meeting controls. If a television system is connected to Aina, it can provide TV controls as well.
Dune was one of several experimental products shown at CES 2026 under the name Project Mirage. Its three buttons changed function based on the activity, with meeting shortcuts such as mute, camera off or record. Aina says it studied how people used Dune while developing the ring.
From an experiment to a product
Aina has been in stealth for the last 15 months. Shankar previously served as vice president of hardware at Ultrahuman, a fitness- and health-tracking ring that competed with Oura. Aina’s team considered smart glasses and pendants, then chose a ring as a convenient way to interact with agents.
The product arrives amid attempts to create new devices for AI. Humane and Rabbit are examples of companies whose products have not yet stuck, while OpenAI is developing a device with ex-Apple designer Jony Ive. Shankar says Aina is not meant to replace the phone, which he calls “too perfect.” Instead, the ring is meant to reduce the time people spend responding to agent requests.
Preorders are live at $399 for a limited time. The price is set to rise to $499 when the ring starts shipping in January 2027. Its broader promise rests on whether a small wearable can make AI actions feel both easy to approve and clear enough to trust.