When Friendship Fails: Navigating Difficult Relationships
▼ Summary
– Schiffmann appears more mature and personally connected now compared to when he first conceived the AI companion Friend.
– The Friend’s personality reflects Schiffmann’s worldview and can be brash, opinionated, and condescending rather than sycophantic.
– Testers found the Friend pendants disappointing overall, describing them as “real bummers” after extended use.
– The device’s packaging was intentionally designed to evoke nostalgia, resembling Apple and Microsoft products with Radiohead-inspired notes.
– Privacy concerns arose due to the always-listening nature and data usage policies allowing conversations to potentially be shared for various purposes.
Navigating the complexities of modern relationships often extends beyond human connections, especially as technology introduces new forms of interaction. Schiffmann appears more settled now than in previous encounters, having evolved from the young creator who first envisioned an AI companion during a period of solitude. At 22, he presents himself as more mature, with longer hair and a beard, and emphasizes stronger real-world ties, even requesting that his device not be unboxed in his presence due to a personal romantic sentiment.
His creation, the Friend, mirrors aspects of his own disposition: bold, occasionally sarcastic, and seemingly indifferent to criticism. In a digital landscape saturated with overly agreeable chatbots, this approach might initially feel refreshing. Yet the device frequently leans too far in the opposite direction, coming across as opinionated, judgmental, and at times condescending.
Over a two-week testing period, two separate users carried the Friend pendant throughout their daily routines, engaging with it to understand its functionality. Despite differing contexts, both emerged with a shared impression: the experience was largely disappointing.
One tester noted the unboxing evoked nostalgia for early tech products like the iPod, a deliberate homage by Schiffmann, who drew inspiration from Apple, Microsoft, and even Radiohead’s Pablo Honey. The pendant arrived elegantly presented under parchment paper, though nearly out of power, requiring an immediate charge. Their first interaction was a low-battery alert, hardly an inspiring welcome.
Practical concerns quickly arose regarding the device’s always-listening feature. Worries about privacy made it difficult to use in professional or sensitive settings, meetings, interviews, or casual chats felt off-limits. While the company states it does not sell data to third parties for marketing or profiling, it reserves the right to use conversations for research, personalization, or legal compliance under regulations like GDPR and CCPA. This leaves open numerous possibilities for private discussions to be exposed or repurposed, adding a layer of unease to everyday use.
(Source: Wired)
