During the pandemic, when we were kept apart from our friends and relatives, loneliness became a common affliction.
Some people still found opportunities in this downtime to put their skills to good use. A Seattle-area 17-year-old named Avi Schiffmann, for example, built a website that tracked the spread of COVID-19—which ultimately won him a Webby Award for special achievement, presented by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Four years later, with memories of that loneliness-inducing era still fresh, Schiffmann is once again making news with a creation—this time, an AI-powered necklace designed to be like a portable friend.
Friend is precisely the name of Schiffmann’s latest venture, which has reportedly raised $2.5 million at a $50 million valuation from investors.
A new addition to the world of wearables, the necklace uses AI to combat loneliness by “listening” to its wearer. At the touch of a walkie-talkie-style button, the wearer can speak to the device and receive a response in the form of a text (the device is currently only made for iPhones).
The pendant can also proactively send a message—such as a good luck wish before an interview, or a happy birthday greeting—since it’s always learning from its wearer.
“I would really view the product as like an emotional toy. I think the only successful-use case of large language models is people talking about their day and their feelings to tools like Replika or Character AI. But with hardware present, I believe it is a better emotional connect,” Schiffmann told TechCrunch.
The question is whether people will want to use this accessory in addition to (or instead of) an app on their phones—and how impactful it will be on one’s mental health.
Schiffmann’s Friend necklace wasn’t originally designed for companionship; instead, it was meant to transcribe meetings. Under the name Tab, the product earned $100,000 in preorders before it was reconceived as Friend, which customers of Tab will receive for their preorders, or they can request a refund.
“Spend a bit more money and get yourself a dog,” wrote one commenter on TechCrunch’s article about the device. Over on the product’s Instagram, the comments show a widely alarmed audience. “Terrifying. Naturalising —and exploiting— the epidemic of loneliness largely manufactured by Silicon Valley, by exacerbating alienation in order to sell you a simulacrum of human connection,” posted one user.
But somebody made the case for the necklace’s usefulness for those who are neurodivergent or have low self-esteem. “Perhaps the Friend will kind of encourage them and coach them on their social interactions and let them know they did OK and that they are appreciated,” the commenter wrote.
Chatbots and other AI-backed tech (like Siri and Alexa) are used on the daily by many, and this necklace is simply another bridge between people and AI, offering ease of use for those who want such an item. Given the product’s funding, it seems there are enough potential customers looking to give it a try.
Friend is expected to start shipping in the first quarter of 2025.
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