Avi Schiffmann arrives at the office with a small, round device called 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
The AI-powered wearable, about the size of an AirTag, is designed to be a constant companion, engaging in conversation and offering support through text messages and push notifications on a paired phone. Friend has an onboard microphone that listens to everything around the wearer by default.
Powered by Anthropic AI’s large language model, it can converse, encourage, and even tease the user.
"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
With a battery life of around 15 hours and a range of colors reminiscent of early iMac computers, Friend is set to start shipping in January 2025 for $99 each. Schiffmann, 21, wants Friend to be different from other AI wearables that focus on productivity.
"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
He envisions it as a best friend that complements the user’s personality and is always there to listen and chat.
Schiffmann’s AI wearable Friend debut
“I feel like I have a closer relationship with this pendant around my neck than I do with these literal friends in front of me,” Schiffmann shares.
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
Known for creating a global Covid tracking website in 2020 and a platform to help Ukrainian refugees find shelter in 2022, Schiffmann is now venturing into AI companionship. While he acknowledges that Friend combines elements from various sources, such as Tamagotchis and AI chatbots like Replika, he insists it is a fundamentally new form. However, the device raises significant privacy concerns.
Petter Bae Brandtzæg, a professor at the University of Oslo, highlights the intimacy of interactions with AI companions and the challenges in protecting shared thoughts. Barbara Koenig, a professor at UC Berkeley, likens AI friends to junk food, providing short-term relief but potentially limiting genuine human connections. As Schiffmann introduces Friend to the world, it remains to be seen how society will balance the convenience and companionship offered by AI devices with the need for authentic human interaction and privacy.
Nonetheless, Friend represents an intriguing development in the evolving landscape of digital companionship.
