"The smooth plastic disc is just under 2 inches in diameter; it looks and feels a little like a beefy Apple AirTag. Inside are some LEDs and a Bluetooth radio that connects you (through your iPhone) to a chatbot in the cloud that's powered by Google's Gemini 2.5 model. You can tap on the disc to ask your Friend questions as it dangles around your neck, and it responds to your voice prompts by sending you text messages through the companion app."
"It also listens to whatever you're doing as you move through the world, no tap required, and offers a running commentary on the interactions you have throughout your day. To perform that trick, the device has microphones that are always activated. If the idea of a microphone-packed wearable that's always listening to your conversations raises privacy concerns for you, just know that you're not alone."
"Friend is the creation of Avi Schiffmann, who announced his invention in July 2024 with a creepy video that showed people talking to the chatbots inside their pendants like they were actual humans. The Friends feel chummy; Schiffmann's chatbots exhibit imperfections that make them seem more like real humans. Schiffmann came to the WIRED office in early August to drop off two Friend necklaces, one each for the two of us: WIRED writers Kylie Robison and Boone Ashworth."
Friend is an AI-powered pendant sold for $129 in the US and Canada. The device is a smooth, roughly two-inch plastic disc with LEDs and a Bluetooth radio that connects through an iPhone to a cloud chatbot running on Google's Gemini 2.5. Users can tap to ask questions and receive text replies in a companion app and can reply by voice or text. The pendant also continuously listens and provides a running, often snarky commentary on daily interactions using always-on microphones. The chatbots intentionally exhibit imperfections that create a chummy, humanlike feel but can be unhelpful or antagonistic, and the always-listening behavior raises privacy concerns and can make people around the wearer uncomfortable.
Read at WIRED
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