Having an imaginary friend can now become a reality, as a startup launches an AI friend which is only slightly less creepy than you might think.
It sounds like something from a Black Mirror episode, especially as you have to wear your Friend around your neck. The company behind the product (which is also named ‘friend) has created an AI wearable that is in the form of a pendant necklace. One that is always listening.
The pendant is a small puck that is home to the AI chatbot that has been created to keep people company.
How does Friend AI work?
The friend sends you messages about the latest gossip, engages in conversations, and can even provide you with some motivation when you need it most. This works through connecting to an iOS device as it functions over Bluetooth and requires an internet connection.
The AI friend is powered by Anthropic AI’s Claude 3.5 large language model. It also has an onboard microphone to listen to all the juicy details.
On the company’s website, the ‘how it works’ section details three steps – all of which are relatively easy. Firstly, users are asked to speak their minds or gossip about what was overheard.
Secondly, the AI friend “will think for a moment and come up with something good to say.” Thirdly, simply check your phone as a message will be sent to your device where you can see the response from your new friend.
The friend is already available for preorders for $99.
The AI Friend aims to be a companion in a time when it’s needed most
While many companies have been scrambling to address productivity needs, the founder of this tool Avi Schiffmann told Wired: “Productivity is over, no one cares.
“No one is going to beat Apple or OpenAI or all these companies that are building Jarvis. The most important things in your life really are people.”
While the thought of an AI friend sounds strange, a loneliness epidemic is sweeping countries worldwide, exacerbated by aging populations (particularly in countries like South Korea).
At the end of 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a ‘global public health concern’ and said it was as bad for people’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
“I’ve never felt more lonely in my entire life,” said the 21-year-old founder, who spent $1.8 million to acquire the friend.com domain.
“And in that moment, I was looking at the Tab prototype, and I was like, it’s not that I just want to talk to this thing. I want to feel like this companion is actually there with me traveling.”
Featured Image: Via Friend
