AI necklace companion ‘friend’ always listens and talks to users, even offering them advice

Friend is an AI necklace companion that always listens

AI always listens. It can talk and offer advice to users, too. At least with Friend, an AI necklace companion, that’s the case. It’s how the startup’s founder, Avi Schiffmann, and its engineers devised it to be: a wearable technology people can have a conversation with because it always listens to them. The catch is that they get replies using pop-up notifications on their smartphones. The device connects to the phone via Bluetooth, so the users need an internet connection if they want to read what Friend thinks and has to say.

Whenever the users want to talk to Friend, they just press and hold the button in the middle of the device. The AI necklace companion then forms its own thoughts using its embedded technology. ‘We have given your Friend free will for when they decide to reach out to you,’ the design team writes. So when users want to vent, gossip, or just have a conversation out in the open, the device has its digital ears ready, processing the users’ thoughts and offering its own two cents in the discussion. It gives the impression that there’s no need to ask Friend for help. It’ll just do it.

all images and video stills courtesy of Friend

There’s no recovery plan in case of loss or damage

Avi Schiffmann opts for a minimalist design with Friend. The AI necklace companion, which fits in the palm, has a convex, circular shape, similar to an inflated coin but wrapped in silicone-looking material to make it soft. Based on the trailer prior to the product’s release, the device may also be dirt- and water-resistant since it still works even if a dollop of sauce drips on it. Friend may start to feel like a human when users find out that if they lose or damage their AI necklace companion, there is no recovery plan.

‘Your Friend and their memories are attached to the physical device,’ the design team says. For users who might not be fond of the device’s always-listening feature, Friend’s team says that their data is end-to-end encrypted. ‘No audio or transcripts are stored past your Friend’s context window. All memories can be deleted in one click within the Friend app,’ they add. Friend is currently supported on iOS devices, and the team might release it on Android, depending on demand. The pre-order is up, priced at $99 and has no subscription. Users can receive their AI necklace companion in the first quarter of 2025. For now, Friend is only available in the US and Canada.

Friend is a wearable technology people can have a conversation with