AI hardware is all the rage in the startup world, but the response so far has been mixed: Two notable examples, Rabbit and Humane, have released devices with disappointing results, while a16z-backed Limitless and Exor-backed Bee AI are working on their own screenless AI wearables.
Avi Shiffman, a Harvard dropout who built a Webby Prize-winning COVID-19 tracking website, is working on an AI device he's calling “Friend,” which, as the name suggests, is worn around the neck and designed to be treated as a companion.
Shiffman has raised $2.5 million at a $50 million valuation from investors including Caffeinated Capital's Raymond Tonsing, ZFellows founder Corey Levy, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas, Solana founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal, Morning Brew CEO and co-founder Austin Leaf, Jordan Singer, who works on AI at Figma, and Google senior product manager Logan Kilpatrick.
The company announced today that pre-orders are now open for the basic white version, priced at $99 and scheduled to ship in January 2025.
product
The device isn't focused on productivity, but rather a thin layer of connectivity to your phone via Bluetooth and always listening to the user, to combat feelings of loneliness.
You can talk to your device by tapping the hardware walkie-talkie button, and responses will be sent in-app just like text. And because Friend is always listening to you, you can also proactively message them – for example, sending them a message wishing them good luck before an interview.
that's all.
Image credit: Friend
Shiffman believes wearing the hardware around your neck will make it easier to converse with your AI companion than using just an app.
“I think of this product as kind of an emotional toy. I think the only successful examples of large-scale language models are people talking to tools like Replika or Character AI about the events of their day and how they're feeling. But I believe that with the hardware, you can make a more emotional connection,” Shiffman told TechCrunch.
AI Companion Only
Shiffman said the device isn't designed to be a therapist or a work helper. It's an AI friend you can talk to, nothing more. He added that constant companionship is one of the best use cases for AI.
Image credit: Friend
Tackling loneliness wasn't always the goal: Last year, Shiffman began work on a $600 pendant called the Tab that could help track people and record meetings. It had about $100,000 in preorders.
But earlier this year, he reversed course: The startup is now giving Tab preorderers the option to have a friend preorder for them, or simply get a refund.
Schiffman said the company was leaning toward this position, adopting the tagline “always listening,” but clarified that the company does not store any recordings and that users can choose to delete texts at any time.