As Artificial intelligence continues to grow in the wearable sector experts are creating AI-enabled wearable devices that could take care of our health schedules. In line with this Avi Schiffmann, a Harvard dropout has produced an AI device called Friend.
According to sources, ‘friend’ is an AI-enabled necklace that you can wear anywhere. It is expected that Avi’s ‘Friend’ is quite similar to the Limitless AI Pendant, a wearable device that was introduced a few months earlier.
Meet your AI ‘Friend’
Avi Schiffmann, who built a Webby-winning COVID-19 tracking website when he was 17 is the mastermind behind this product. Schiffmann believes that the AI-necklace ‘Friend’ comes in different colours and the hardware is comfortable to carry. He also added that having the hardware around the neck makes it easier for users to talk to the AI companion rather than just having an app.
He also claimed that the always-listening pendant is not meant to make you more productive or replace your phone. It’s supposed to be a companion that helps combat loneliness. Furthermore, “I would view the product as like an emotional toy. I think the only successful use case of large language models is people talking about their day and their feelings to tools like Replika or Character AI,” Schiffmann mentioned in a statement.
The device has a button that apparently lights up in different colors and can be tapped to talk to the pendant. The AI will also respond in an app that looks like a text message. Because it’s always listening, it can also proactively send a message. He has also shown a demo in an official video when the Friend comments on a show the wearer is watching.
Can AI be your ‘Friend’?
As reported by CNBC, the latest AI device will connect with smartphone devices through Bluetooth and will constantly listen to its owner.This is expected to help them to combat loneliness. In addition to this users will also be able to tap on the walkie-talkie button on the device and start talking with it. In response, the device will send an in-app reply like a text.
According to sources the company dropped a trailer showing off how the Friend pendant might work and opened up pre orders for the off-white version for $99. The company further said that it plans to start shipping the product in January 2025. However, with the disastrous launch of the Rabbit R1 and the Humane AI Pin, rumours suggest that this product might fail. Moreover, the company seems to have high hopes about the product and aims to bring an ‘AI friend’ for combating loneliness.
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