Friend (product)
 | |
| Inventor | Avi Schiffmann |
|---|---|
| Inception | October 2023 |
| Slogan | Your new roommate is waiting. |
| Website | https://friend.com |
Friend (stylized as friend) is a wearable artificial intelligence device released by a startup company with the same name. Avi Schiffmann, a Harvard University dropout, designed and released its first product in October 2023. Friend received significant backlash following a marketing campaign in 2025 that featured 11,000 advertisements in New York City.
History
[edit]Founder Avi Schiffmann began pitching his idea for the product in 2023, at the age of 21. The project was initially called "Tab" and had received over $250,000 in investments by the end of the year.[1] In 2024, Schiffmann spent $1.8 million on the domain "friend.com", which had been unclaimed for 17 years.[2]
2025 New York subway campaign
[edit]
Friend spent over $1 million on advertisements with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the corporation in charge of public transportation in New York City.[3] In total, the campaign included advertisements in over 11,000 rail cars, over 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels.[4] Schiffmann claimed it was the largest marketing campaign in NYC subway history,[5][6] describing it as a "takeover", saying further that "it almost felt illegal".[7] People vandalized many of the ads with criticism of the product.[6][8]
The company's marketing campaign provoked negative reactions. Some commentators viewed the messaging as trivializing human relationships or exploiting loneliness as a business opportunity.[9] The campaign's founder, Avi Schiffmann, later stated that the advertising strategy was intended to provoke discussion about modern social isolation rather than replace friendship.[10] Public installations and billboards associated with the launch in New York City were reportedly defaced by critics, reflecting a polarized reception.[11] Heineken had made a response to this by parodying the ad with the tagline "The best way to make a friend is over a beer".[12]
Products
[edit]While Friend offers an online, LLM-powered chatbot, its flagship product is a pendant with a microphone that incorporates the chatbot. The device is just under two inches in size.[13] The product has drawn comparisons to Tamagotchis.[14][15] The device does not speak back, rather it communicates by sending text messages to the user's phone in real time.[3]
Critical reception
[edit]Early product reviews were mixed to negative, with some testers describing interactions with the AI as socially awkward or emotionally unsatisfying.[16] Others praised the device's ambition and conversational fluidity but questioned its practicality in everyday settings.[17]
Debates and controversy
[edit]The Friend wearable AI companion has been subject to criticism and debate relating to the ethical design of AI companions, and AI in relation to loneliness and mental health.[9]
Privacy and data collection
[edit]Critics have raised questions about the device's constant audio monitoring and data-handling practices. Because the pendant uses cloud connectivity to process voice interactions, privacy advocates have warned that it could record sensitive information without users’ full awareness or consent.[18][19] Schiffmann, who holds Israeli citizenship and is reported to maintain connections with the Israeli tech ecosystem, has faced additional scrutiny in light of Israel's evolving regulatory regime for artificial-intelligence and data-privacy frameworks.[2][20][17]
Emotional and psychological impact
[edit]Critics have questioned the psychological consequences of marketing AI as a "friend." Commentators in The Guardian and Wired, when reviewing the Friend product, argued that AI companions could encourage emotional dependence or provide an illusion of companionship without genuine empathy or reciprocity.[16][13] Mental health experts have suggested that while such devices may offer short-term comfort, they could also discourage users from seeking human connection or professional help.[9] Supporters of the technology contend that Friend is designed to complement, not replace, human relationships, and may provide comfort to individuals experiencing loneliness.[10]
References
[edit]- ↑ Duffy, Hewson (December 3, 2023). "Harvard Dropout Avi Schiffmann is Making an AI-Powered 'Wearable Mom'". www.thecrimson.com. The Harvard Crimson.
- 1 2 Ghert-Zand, Renee (9 August 2024). "Whiz kid Avi Schiffmann is back, this time with a new controversial AI 'Friend'". The Times of Israel.
- 1 2 Mills, Jen (September 29, 2025). "Adverts for 'fake AI friend' you wear as a necklace defaced on subway". Metro. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ↑ Ostwal, Trishla (26 September 2025). "AI Startup Friend Bets On Foes With $1M NYC Subway Campaign". Adweek.
- ↑ Schiffmann, Avi [@AviSchiffmann] (September 25, 2025). "Largest NYC subway campaign ever Happening now" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2025-09-27. Retrieved 2025-10-08 – via X (formerly Twitter).
- 1 2 Witte, Rae (30 September 2025). "New Yorkers Are Defacing This AI Startup's Million-Dollar Ad Campaign". Futurism.
- ↑ Montali, Stefano (7 October 2025). "A.I. Companion Ads for Friend.com Flood NYC Subway, Fueling Backlash and Vandalism".
- ↑ Wong, Matteo (6 October 2025). "The Most Reviled Tech CEO in New York Confronts His Haters". The Atlantic.
- 1 2 3 "AI Friend doesn't combat loneliness—it exploits it". Verdict. November 5, 2025.
- 1 2 Tremayne-Pengelly, Alexandra (8 October 2025). "The 22-Year-Old Founder of Viral A.I. Startup Friend Embraces the Backlash". Observer.
- ↑ "AI Startup Friend Spends Over a Million Dollars on Subway Ads: CEO Says He's Betting His Entire Wealth to Promote Controversial Product". AI Base. 28 September 2025.
- ↑ "Heineken Reminds Us That Real Friends Aren't Artificial". Little Black Book. 20 October 2025.
- 1 2 Ashworth, Boones; Robison, Kylie (September 8, 2025). "I Hate My Friend". www.wired.com. Wired. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ Pierce, David (30 July 2024). "Your new AI Friend is almost ready to meet you". The Verge.
- ↑ Aggeler, Madeleine (2 August 2024). "Can an AI friend make you less lonely?". The Guardian.
- 1 2 Aggeler, Madeleine (October 22, 2025). "'I'm suddenly so angry!' My strange, unnerving week with an AI 'friend'". The Guardian. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- 1 2 Robison, Kylie (December 9, 2024). "Friend's AI chatbots have issues — and they want your help". The Verge. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ Tangermann, Victor (4 October 2025). "AI "Friend" Startup Overwhelmed With Hatred". Futurism.
- ↑ Kim, Noah (13 September 2025). "Friend AI Wearable by Avi Schiffmann Sparks Privacy and Social Backlash Amid Negative Reviews". Biz Tech Weekly.
- ↑ Luthra, Rajan; Altshuler, Tehilla (May 2024). "'Mumbai and Tel Aviv Effect': An Alternative to the 'Bandwagon Effect' of Brussels and Washington in Global AI Regulations" (PDF). Observer Research Foundation.