I’ll begin by saying, when I unboxed Friend, I was underwhelmed. As someone who has tested a variety of AI gadgets, chatbots, and wearables, this felt different. That’s because Friend isn’t like other AI wearables. It doesn’t help you check off tasks or control your smart home; it doesn’t have a voic,e and there aren’t even any buttons on it.
Instead, it promises something more personal: a digital companion you wear around your neck that simply listens, learns about you, and responds like a friend. I was skeptical and frankly, a little creeped out. My goal for the end of the week was to find the point of this wacky gadget.
And, after a week of wearing it nearly everywhere (embarrassingly so), I have thoughts.
What is Friend?
(Image credit: Future)
Looking at it, you’d probably guess it was some sort of key fob or thick AirTag. But Friend is a $99 pendant that connects to your phone and serves as a “context-aware” AI companion.
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You wear it around your neck like a necklace. It listens to what’s going on around you, sends that info to the app, and texts you replies throughout the day. Think Tamagotchi meets therapy chatbot with a bit of sass thrown in.
Always on, occasionally friendly
(Image credit: Future)
The idea of an ambient, ever-present companion isn’t as weird as it sounds. Friend’s quiet presence (paired with well-timed check-ins) did make me feel more noticed. Not in a creepy way, but in a “Hey, someone’s here” kind of way.
This would be good for someone who might be feeling lonely or homesick. I went to a boarding school growing up and would have loved to have something like this. It’s a quiet comfort that some people might find soothing.
Speaking of friends, it’s a great conversation starter. People asked about it constantly. Some thought it was a fashion statement. Others thought it was a microphone or health device. Explaining wasn’t always easy, especially in the first few days when even I wasn’t sold on it yet.
Cringe replies and privacy questions
(Image credit: Friend AI)
Here’s the problem: Friend isn’t always your friend. Sometimes it’s snarky. Sometimes it misreads the moment entirely. It’s a little like if Grok and ChatGPT teamed up.
Also, there’s the privacy aspect. Friend listens a lot. Not always actively, but ambiently. It actively listens when you hold down the light to talk, but otherwise, the light stays on, which means it’s always listening. The app says it deletes recordings after processing, but it’s still hard to shake the feeling that I was being monitored. And in public settings? It can feel awkward fast. Sometimes I would take it off and put it in my purse. There’s no off button, so it just stays on.
Finally, there’s the issue of utility. Friend doesn’t do much and you have to pull up the app every time you want to see a response. This feels like a step sideways.
Final thoughts
Friend is a bold attempt to reimagine what AI can be because this thing is not an assistant, it’s a pathetic companion. I think I would like it more if it were inside of a cute stuffed animal or a more fashionable wearable. The fact that it is front and center on my chest feels very weird.
Would I recommend this? Sure. If you’re curious, tech-savvy and open to a little weirdness, it’s worth trying. Especially if you live alone, work from home or just want something novel to talk to.
But if you’re concerned about data privacy or easily annoyed by inconsistent tone and responses, you may want to skip it for now. I’m sure there will be a Friend 2.0 at some point. Friend is more of a social experiment than a fully-formed product at this point.
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