It may remind you of your pocket-sized Tamagotchi from childhood, but ‘Friend’, an AI-powered necklace that listens to your every word, is designed to make you feel less alone.
At least that’s what its creators claim, who have already launched pre-orders for their “not imaginary” friend.
Priced at $99 (£77), the so-called digital companion is a wearable chatbot that is always on and listens and then communicates with its owner via messages and notifications on a paired phone.
A high-value marketing video showing the device has been compared to an episode of the sci-fi series ‘Black Mirror’.
On social media, users said the clip looked more like a “marketing campaign for a dystopian movie or the beginning of the collapse of civilization.”
Psychologists are also not convinced that the AI wearable companion will alleviate loneliness and warn that it is far from being a replacement for “human connection” and users run the risk of “impersonating” a real person.
Priced at $99 (£77), ‘Friend’ is basically a chatbot that communicates via text messages and push notifications on the phone it’s paired to.
Others claim that such a device could even make people feel more isolated by using it as a “coping strategy” to avoid real-life social interactions.
Avi Schiffmann, 21, a tech entrepreneur and CEO of Friend, said he thought of the idea of a wearable digital companion during a period of loneliness while abroad in Japan and longing for a travel companion.
Housed in a circular white disc, the device includes an always-on microphone and a phone connection so users can press a button to talk to their “Buddy” at any time and receive responses as text messages.
Although the device is designed to make you feel less lonely, Dr Audrey Tang, a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society, argues that it cannot replace human connection.
Dr Tang said it’s “unhealthy” to believe you have a friend on a leash and argues it won’t “nourish” you in the same way.
“Sometimes app developers don’t realise what the mental wellbeing level of the person using them is,” she told MailOnline.
He added: ‘There might be someone who uses it for fun like a Tamagotchi, but that’s no substitute for a real pet and, by the same token, if someone using it is absolutely desperate, they might think the only thing they deserve is a collar they have to buy.
“If you’re trying to deal with social loneliness, this isn’t going to help you get out and meet people or provide you with interaction.”
Around a quarter (27 per cent) of adults in the UK admit to feeling lonely “always” or “some of the time”, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics.
In the United States, one-third of adults report feeling lonely at least once a week.
Loneliness is not just a social problem: if it is severe or lasts a long time, it can have serious health consequences.
NHS warns that loneliness can increase the risk of conditions such as dementia, as well as stress, anxiety, low mood or depression.
Dr Tang also says that talking to a bot could exaggerate feelings of loneliness, especially if a person lacks self-confidence.
“If someone is feeling socially alone, they may already believe they are unlovable, and so having to buy a necklace can contribute to fueling their insecurities,” she said.
Talking to a bot is like tricking yourself into believing it’s a real person, he explains.
“You know it’s not a real person and any conversation you might have with a bot is not going to be the same as the one you have in real life,” he added.
AI, which can send text messages, cannot pick up on social nuances like facial expressions and body language or provide touch, as a human can, psychologists argue.
It includes an always-on microphone and a phone connection so users can press a button to talk to the Amigo and receive responses from it as text messages.
The AI friend can listen to your voice and text back, but it can’t pick up on social nuances like facial expressions and body language or provide critical contact like a human can.
For example, a hug from a human friend can increase levels of oxytocin, known as the “love hormone.” Touch can also build trust and put you at ease faster than if someone simply talks to you, Dr. Tang explains.
Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, also argues that while the digital collar can provide a friend-like conversation, it does not have the same “range of complexities and experiences” as a human.
“In our evolutionary past, being part of a social group was essential for survival,” he told MailOnline.
“Today, it remains just as important for our mental and emotional well-being. Regular connection and sharing of thoughts and experiences with the people we care about is essential for our health and happiness.”
However, Dr Touroni admits that the necklace could have positive benefits as it could “enhance human interaction” by providing different forms of connection.
For example, it could help those who suffer from social anxiety or are very isolated, he said.
“It can offer companionship in a way that may be more accessible and less intimidating for some,” Dr. Touroni added.
But he stressed that the device should be used with “caution,” echoing other experts’ warnings that it could worsen loneliness.
“If this type of product becomes a primary coping strategy to avoid real-life interactions, it could worsen loneliness,” he said.
‘Real human interaction involves a range of complexities and experiences that technology cannot fully replicate.
“There is a risk that this type of technology could end up exacerbating feelings of isolation if it replaces genuine human connections rather than complementing them.”
The necklace may provide temporary relief from loneliness, but Dr. Touroni says it should not be seen as a substitute for meaningful human relationships.
Additionally, those who turn to the device for company will have no option to get their “Friend” back if the device is damaged or lost.
An FAQ on Friend’s website warns: “Your friend and their memories are tied to the physical device. If you lose or damage your friend, there is no recovery plan.”
AI companions like Friend are not a new concept – another AI chatbot app called Replika was launched in 2017 that offers emotional support and companionship, all on your smartphone.
Other companies have also created chatbots and AI girlfriends that offer flirty chats and sexy photos like Lexi Love created by the company Foxy AI.
The Friend is also part of a recent trend of AI wearables, including the Humane Ai pin, which was an AI-powered hologram-projecting phone replacement that could be worn on your upper body, and the Rabbit R1, an AI-powered wearable assistant.
