Two years ago Avi Schiffmann launched Friend, an AI wearable necklace that users could talk to and that sent text updates about daily life. The product was presented as an attempt to use artificial intelligence to address loneliness. This week the company announced an updated version that adds a prominent new feature: a voice.
Schiffmann posted on social media, “Introducing friend 2.0.” The updated device includes a built-in speaker designed to convey a consistent, identifiable personality to its wearer.
Advertising and use-case examples
A new commercial for Friend 2.0 shows a woman speaking to the necklace about what appears to be a past relationship; the device responds, “It’s not bad to be gay.” Another scene shows a man on a hillside discussing filmmaking ambitions, and the necklace tells him, “That last film you made was insane!”
Those vignettes emphasize conversational interaction and emotional feedback, but concrete details about what users can do with Friend beyond chatting about their day remain limited.
Pricing and market context
The retail price for the upgraded Friend is $249, substantially higher than the $99 price at the initial launch two years ago. The higher price raises questions about the value proposition for a device primarily framed as a conversational companion.
Friend’s earlier marketing has also drawn attention: last year the company ran a billboard campaign in the New York City subway system that went viral after the posters were repeatedly defaced, apparently by people opposed to replacing human connection with a digitized amulet.
The broader market and competitors
So far, AI wearables have not become mainstream. The product most similar to Friend was Humane Inc.’s AI pin, which sought to replace the iPhone but shut down its business in less than a year after poor sales.
In a recent post on X, Schiffmann described the kind of relationship he hopes Friend can offer: “some kind of confidant, friend, God, not really sure what it is,” adding that “it is not an assistant, and it is not a lover.” That positioning highlights the unusual and potentially controversial framing of the device.
Overall, adding voice and increasing the price mark a new phase for Friend: the changes will test whether such AI wearables can appeal to a broader audience or remain niche curiosities for a small set of users.
