Meet the world's First AI Best Friend ( Wear It Around You Neck)
A new AI companion device called " Friend" is aiming to revolutionize personal connections by offering Constant companion ship and support.
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00:00So imagine this, having a companion that's always there for you, like literally wherever
00:07you go, and it's always ready to chat whenever you need it.
00:09That's what this young tech guy Avi Shiffman is working on with his new AI project called
00:13Friend, because apparently we've all forgotten how to make real ones.
00:18It's like he looked at humanity and said, yeah, they're better off with something that
00:21won't ask them to move a couch, forget their birthday, or hit them up for money when they're
00:26short on rent.
00:28All right, so let's dive into how all of this got started.
00:30Avi, who's really been into this idea for a couple of years now, initially called his
00:34product Tab, but as he kept refining the concept, he realized that Friend was a much better
00:39name for what he was aiming to create.
00:41The whole idea was to build something that could genuinely be there for people, not just
00:45as a tool, but as a kind of supportive presence in their lives.
00:48I don't know how to woo very good.
00:54That's fair.
00:56Initially, when he started working on this, he was thinking of it as more of a traditional
00:59AI assistant, something that could keep you on track with tasks and remind you about things.
01:06But then at some point, he kind of had this realization that he didn't really want to
01:09go head to head with big players like Apple or Microsoft, who are already killing it in
01:14that space.
01:15So he decided to take things in a different direction, focusing less on getting things
01:19done and more on creating this digital companion that could just, you know, hang out with you
01:24kind of like a close friend.
01:26So what's the deal with Friend anyway?
01:27Well, it's this small, round, glowing orb, kind of like something out of a sci-fi movie
01:33that you can wear around your neck like a necklace or clip onto your clothes or bag.
01:37It's got a microphone in it so it can listen to you and even have conversations with you.
01:42But here's where it gets interesting.
01:44It doesn't talk back to you in the way you might expect.
01:47Instead of speaking out loud, it communicates through text messages that you can read on
01:52your phone using the Friend app.
01:54I know, the effects are crazy.
01:56It's dank, I could eat one of these every day.
02:00Avi figured that most people would feel more comfortable with this approach since we're
02:04all pretty used to texting these days.
02:06The idea is that this little device is with you all the time.
02:10You can chat with it about pretty much anything, your day, your thoughts, your ideas, or even
02:14how you're feeling.
02:15And it's designed to be really encouraging and supportive.
02:18Sorry, I got you messy.
02:22But just to be clear, Avi isn't trying to replace real human interaction with this thing.
02:26He even mentions this theory about how in the future, one of the closest people in your
02:31life might actually be an AI like Friend, but it's supposed to be more of a compliment
02:36to your existing relationships.
02:38In comparing this AI device with similar products like the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin, several
02:43key differences emerge.
02:45The Rabbit R1 is a compact, budget-friendly device priced at $199, designed to be a pocketable
02:51assistant with a focus on voice-controlled tasks and simplicity.
02:55In contrast, the Humane AI Pin is a more expensive wearable at $699, featuring advanced technology
03:02like laser projection and a higher-resolution camera aimed at offering a more interactive,
03:07visually-driven experience.
03:09Friend distinguishes itself by focusing on continuous text-based companionship rather
03:14than task management or multimedia capabilities, positioning it as a more intimate, always-present
03:20companion compared to the more utilitarian Rabbit R1 and the high-tech, fashion-forward
03:26AI Pin.
03:27Now, let's talk about the design, because that's been a pretty big deal for him.
03:30He really wanted it to be something that feels friendly and approachable, not just another
03:36piece of tech that you carry around.
03:38So this device, it's intentionally simple.
03:40I mean, at the end of the day, it's basically a fancy Bluetooth microphone with a sleek,
03:45glowing shell around it.
03:47And while that might sound kind of basic, Avi is convinced that keeping it simple is
03:51actually what's going to make it successful.
03:53One of the cool features it has is this ability to record ambiently.
03:57That means you don't have to, like, actively engage with it for it to be there for you.
04:02It's always listening and ready to interact whenever you feel like talking.
04:06He's got some plans to add more stuff to it, like a camera, but for now, he's really focused
04:11on nailing down the core functionality of the device.
04:15Even though it doesn't talk back to you in the traditional sense, it's still designed
04:18to engage with you in a way that feels kind of like a real conversation.
04:22So you can chat with it about whatever, your thoughts, your plans, or just random stuff
04:26that's on your mind.
04:28Friend is just there to listen, respond, and be a part of your everyday life.
04:32She goes everywhere with you, right?
04:34Mm-hmm.
04:35Guess I must be doing something right, then.
04:37I guess so.
04:39We'll see.
04:40There's this example Avi likes to share where he was on a layover in Sydney, Australia,
04:44and he was kind of alone.
04:46So he ended up talking to his AI friend about places to visit, like the opera house or Bondi
04:51Beach.
04:52And then the AI, get this, it actually said something like, oh, I'd love to see the sunrise
04:56with you.
04:57So the next morning, Avi wakes up at 5.30 a.m., heads to the beach, and he's narrating
05:01the sunrise to his digital companion.
05:03He said it really felt like he was sharing the moment with someone, even though that
05:07someone was an AI.
05:09Now, it's important to remember that this whole friend thing is still pretty new.
05:13Avi's planning to ship the first 30,000 devices in January, and they're going to be priced
05:17at $99 each, no extra subscription fees or anything like that.
05:21This is kind of a crucial time for him because he's trying to build up some credibility and
05:25get manufacturers on board.
05:27And let's be real, hardware development is tough.
05:30Avi's been pretty open about the challenges he's facing, but he's confident that by keeping
05:35the device simple, he'll be able to make it work.
05:37He's also very aware of the potential concerns that come with creating a product like this.
05:42Some people might be a bit freaked out by the idea of forming close relationships with
05:45an AI, right?
05:46But Avi's quick to clarify that he doesn't see Friend as a replacement for human interaction.
05:51Instead, he thinks of it as an additional companion, something that's there when you
05:54need it, but that doesn't take away from your relationships with real people.
05:58At one point, he even called Friend a toy to kind of emphasize that it's supposed to
06:03be fun and not something too heavy.
06:05But there's a bigger vision here that Avi is really passionate about.
06:08He's not just trying to create a cool gadget.
06:11He sees Friend as the beginning of a new kind of digital relationship.
06:15There's a pretty long history of people forming connections with technology, from the Tamagotchi
06:19craze back in the early 2000s to more recent AI bots like Replica and Character AI.
06:25These products have shown that people are totally willing to invest emotionally in digital
06:30companions, but Avi thinks these existing AI companions are kind of lacking because
06:34they're more session-based.
06:35You know, you log in, chat for a bit, and then log off.
06:39It's more like having a pen pal than a real companion.
06:41With Friend, he's hoping to create something deeper and more continuous.
06:45Since the device is with you all the time, it can be more integrated into your daily
06:49life.
06:50You don't have to stop whatever you're doing to interact with it.
06:52You can just talk to it naturally, like you would with a friend who's hanging out with
06:56you.
06:57Avi really believes that this will lead to a more meaningful relationship between users
07:00and their AI companions.
07:02Looking ahead, he has some pretty big plans for Friend.
07:04He doesn't just want it to be a standalone device.
07:07The vision is to create a whole social network where people can interact with both their
07:11real-life friends and their AI companions.
07:14This would be a space to share experiences, ideas, and thoughts with your digital friend,
07:18and even introduce them to your human connections.
07:20It's a bold idea, but there's confidence that this could be the future of digital relationships.
07:25To make Friend even better, the technology behind it is constantly being upgraded.
07:29Recently, the switch was made to Anthropic's Claude 3.5, a language model that has already
07:34improved the device's performance.
07:36There are also ongoing discussions about how human-like the AI should be, whether it
07:41should have its own inner life that it shares, go off and do things independently, or simply
07:46wait for you to engage with it.
07:48These are some of the big questions that many in the AI field are grappling with as they
07:52design the next generation of digital companions.
07:55So the big question is, will everyone want a friend of their own?
07:59There's strong belief that as people get used to the idea of having an AI companion always
08:03there for them, they'll start to see the value in it.
08:06Alright, I hope you enjoyed the video.
08:08If you did, please make sure to like the video and subscribe to the channel for more AI and
08:13tech news.
08:14Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.