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In tech news, pre-orders began this week for yet another AI device, friend. Unlike the slick, corporate launches of the Rabbit and Humane, the friend (lowercase ‘f’ is their brand) was announced with a whimsical, A24-style commercial that never actually explains what the product is. An anxious woman hikes alone in the woods. A depressed teenager plays video games. A waitress eats a falafel on her break. And a young couple flirts awkwardly on a Brooklyn rooftop.
They’re all wearing a white pendant around their necks, sort of like an Apple Air Tag. But this pendant contains an always-on microphone, and is connected to a smartphone app. Your friend is always listening and talks to you via messages sent to your phone. But why? Will my friend help me with my work? No, according to 22-year-old Harvard-drop out CEO Avi Schiffman. That was actually his original idea, and he abandoned it to (really) reduce loneliness and (really really) increase emotional intelligence.
It seemed like a parody.The announcement with its fuzzy branding and vague product vision went viral, and perhaps that was the point all along. By the second day, the story seemed straight out of Silicon Valley when it was revealed a former colleague of the CEO launched an identical product. The reception for friend has not been generally positive and valid critiques quickly rose above the usual clamor of haters hating. What does the pendant actually do? Does it process information or is it simply a microphone for the app? Is friend a hardware company or a software company? And why did they spend most of their $2.5 million seed round to buy friend.com?
Perhaps the most salient critique is that the fundamental product experience would likely benefit a lot of people, but none of them were shown in the launch video. A digital caretaker for the elderly or special needs children makes a lot of sense. A friendly and frictionless platform for keeping Alzheimer’s patients mentally engaged would be miraculous. But a 21st century Tamagotchi for anxious Gen Zers doesn’t seem like a good first step towards achieving those solutions.
Schiffman’s response to the criticism does not bode well for the entrepreneur. “I honestly think it's because the video was too good,: he said. "That, maybe, was my biggest mistake.”
Read on for a round up of reactions to friend, along with other tech news.
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CNET: AI-Powered Necklace Will Be Your Friend for $99
Business Insider: Everyone hates friend
Notebook Check: friend launches creepy AI gadget out of Black Mirror
The Guardian: Can an AI friend make you less lonely?
The Independent: friend spent $1.8 million on a URL