Will AI solve the problem of loneliness? An enthusiast presented a pendant for communication

A neck-worn Friend device has been created to communicate with AI.The gadget listens to the owner all the time, and when the button is pressed, it answers questions and maintains a conversation. X users received the new product ambiguously.

Developer and entrepreneur Avi Schiffman has launched the Friend pendant with artificial intelligence, which offers a fight against loneliness.

introducing friend. not imaginary.

order now at https://t.co/7kGiH5pQVK pic.twitter.com/qU58xNvX5v

— Avi (@AviSchiffmann) July 30, 2024

The gadget is a washer-shaped device worn around the neck that connects to the phone via Bluetooth and constantly listens to the owner. By clicking on the button, you can talk to the pendant, it will send a response in the application in text. 

Friend listens to the user all the time, so he can write messages in advance, for example, to wish good luck before the interview. 

"I see this product as an emotional toy. I think the only successful use of big language models is when people talk about their day and feelings with tools like Replicaand Character AI. I believe that with the equipment, this emotional connection will be closer," Schiffman said in an interview with TechCrunch. 

According to him, the device is not intended to be a therapist or to help with work. It represents an AI friend that you can talk to. 

The pendant is available for pre-order for $99 in the USA and Canada. The start of deliveries is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. 

Schiffman raised $2.5 million in investments while valuing his company at $50 million. Among the investors are Solana co-founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal, Raymond Tonsing of Caffeinated Capital, founder of Z Fellows Corey Levy, CEO of Morning Brew Austin Reef and others.

Public reaction

Users reacted ambiguously to the launch of the new gadget. Some found it useful, others did not. 

Some noted that the video resembles an episode of Black Mirror, a British science fiction anthology television series that shows the impact of information technology on human relationships. 

Others called Friend a "Tamagotchi" — a virtual pet. Perhaps this is due to the similar form factor of the devices, since the functionality is different. 

One of the X users asked to develop a similar gadget with a camera. Schiffman noted that this will be the next version of Friend. 

In 2021, the Japanese company Takara Tomy created a doll with artificial intelligence Ami-Chan to relieve the elderly from loneliness.

Recall that billionaire Elon Musk called AI his main fear, because it can deprive humanity of the need to work.