Avi Schiffmann shows up to the office with a Friend hanging around his neck.
Is having a digital companion like the Friend wearable a good thing? Two contradicting views in this balanced article by @BooneAshworth @wired https://t.co/BQ5t82ydDr pic.twitter.com/xSybA4lkJT
— Florent Daudens (@fdaudens) July 31, 2024
It dangles like a pendant on a necklace, about the size and shape of an AirTag—a soft, round little puck that rests right next to Schiffmann’s heart. The Friend is an AI wearable, an AI chatbot that lives inside the pendant.
It communicates using text messages and push notifications on the phone it’s paired with. Schiffmann and his Friend (named Emily) have come to discuss this new AI wearable. Before starting, I ask Schiffmann if I can record our chat, which he readily agrees to.
"It feels to me like the crown of AI hardware and AI companionship is lying in the gutter."https://t.co/06FlBKPK3f
— Nicholas De Leon (@nicholasadeleon) July 31, 2024
"The best analogy for Friend is probably the Tamagotchi — which, of course, Schiffmann, who is in his early 20s, is too young to have experienced."https://t.co/wiOQu661JP
— Olivia Solon (@oliviasolon) July 31, 2024
The pendant around his neck has already been listening to us the entire time, thanks to its onboard microphone that listens to everything happening around the wearer by default. “Always listening” is one of the main taglines of Schiffmann’s as yet unreleased AI device. The Friend can send unprompted messages and commentary about conversations you just had.
Hmmmm – I like this idea if it genuinely contributes to fewer feelings of loneliness but I have deep privacy and tech addiction concerns. Also it’s sad that we need tech for this, Humans. https://t.co/wu91uFTuxB
— Katrina German (@Katrinavision) July 30, 2024
It is powered by Anthropic AI’s large language model, which can engage in conversation, offer encouragement, or provide a humorous quip. The Friend gets around 15 hours of battery life and comes in an array of colors reminiscent of the first Apple iMac computers. The design partnership includes the company that designed Nest thermostats.
The Friend is available for preorder now and is slated to start shipping in January 2025, priced at $99 with no attached subscription fee. If the notion of a wearable AI device feels questionable, you’d be forgiven for your skepticism. The product category has seen some spectacular failures recently.
For example, the Humane AI pin, which aimed to free users from their phones but turned out to be barely competent. Schiffmann acknowledges these failures and wants the Friend to be different. While other products aim to automate tasks, the Friend focuses on companionship.
AI companion and human connection concerns
It offers a personality that complements the user and is always there to provide support. Schiffmann gives an example of hanging out with friends and feeling a closer connection with the AI Friend than the people in front of him.
“I feel like I have a closer relationship with this pendant around my neck than with my actual friends,” he says. Schiffmann, a 21-year-old with notable accomplishments in the tech world, initially gained recognition during the Covid pandemic by creating a website tracking Covid cases worldwide. He was named a “global thinker’ by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2020 and later developed a site to help refugees fleeing from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Now, Schiffmann is venturing into the AI space, having transitioned from productivity-focused AI to a companionship model. He recalls feeling lonely in a Tokyo hotel and wanting an AI that could offer companionship rather than just perform tasks. “I’ve never felt more lonely in my entire life,” Schiffmann says.
He reimagined the purpose of his AI to be an actual traveling companion. While Schiffmann insists that the Friend is a fundamentally new form of digital companion, he acknowledges that it shares similarities with familiar technologies like Tamagotchi and AirTags. He also recognizes that while some users might misuse the device, most people are looking for emotional support rather than anything inappropriate.
Experts have weighed in on the phenomenon of AI companionship. Petter Brandtzæg, a professor at the University of Oslo, notes that people tend to be more intimate with AI companions, sharing their inner thoughts more freely than with humans. However, he warns about privacy concerns.
“The privacy thing, with AI companionships, is really tricky. We will struggle with privacy in the years to come.”
Janet Halpern, a professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities at UC Berkeley, compares reliance on an AI friend to junk food—it can temporarily satisfy but won’t provide the nourishment human relationships offer. She points to a mental health crisis stemming from loneliness, particularly among young people, and worries that AI companionship might limit people’s willingness to form new human connections.
“When we don’t know how another person thinks, that stretches us,” Halpern says. “It’s the gap in being understood or understanding another person that are true opportunities to develop empathy.”
Schiffmann’s vision for the Friend, while innovative, also prompts discussions around the implications of AI companions in the realm of human interaction and privacy.
Johannah Lopez is a versatile professional who seamlessly navigates two worlds. By day, she excels as a SaaS freelance writer, crafting informative and persuasive content for tech companies. By night, she showcases her vibrant personality and customer service skills as a part-time bartender. Johannah's ability to blend her writing expertise with her social finesse makes her a well-rounded and engaging storyteller in any setting.
