This Eerie AI Pendant Aims to Be Your New Friend
Yesterday, X user Avi Schiffman introduced a new AI-powered gadget called “Friend.” The announcement quickly went viral, not for its technological innovation but for the unsettling vision of our AI future it presents—one that seems to cater to a specific kind of tech enthusiast.
The promotional video showcases the wearable pendant, which supposedly listens to everything you say and engages in “conversational” interactions through a chat window on your phone. While you can speak directly to your Friend by pressing a button, it’s always listening and will comment unprompted on your daily life. It resembles a Tamagotchi with a surveillance twist or a person you might need a restraining order against.
Is the Friend Real?
Initially, I suspected the Friend was just another online hoax or social commentary, like the air umbrella or bonzai kittens. Its creepy premise and the “suspicious site” warning on the official friend.com website made it seem like a parody or an ad for a new Black Mirror season.
However, it turns out the Friend is indeed real. Wired has confirmed its existence and interviewed Schiffman, a 21-year-old Webby Person of the Year and former WIRED 25 conference guest. Schiffman invested $1.8 million of his company’s $2.5 million seed money into securing the friend.com URL.
Cost and Functionality
The Friend is available for preorder at $99. It uses Claude AI, connects via Bluetooth, has a 15-hour battery life, and will ship in 2025. Unlike multifunctional AI devices like the Humane Ai pin or Rabbit R1, Friend focuses solely on conversation rather than productivity, aiming to be a wearable companion. Schiffman claims, “Productivity is over, no one cares,” emphasizing that meaningful connections are what matter most.
Why Is the Friend So Creepy?
The commercial alone is enough to give anyone the creeps. While not dissimilar to other digital companions like the Rabbit AI or Tamagotchi, the Friend’s purpose—providing a simulacrum of human interaction—feels deeply unsettling. It’s akin to those Japanese robot companions that provoke an uncomfortable sense of machine-mediated human connection.
Does Anyone Want This?
Tech designed to replace rather than enhance human relationships seems like a troubling development. Imagining a world where people interact more with AI friends than real people is deeply disheartening. It makes me yearn for a place untouched by such technology.
