TechCrunch Industry News Friend delays shipments of its AI companion pendant
Jan 22, 2025
A startup’s AI-powered necklace, designed as a digital companion, faces delays in shipment, pushing back delivery to Q3. The co-founder discusses the hurdles encountered, including a halt to their chatbot experience. The conversation dives into the potential effects of AI companions on mental health and relationships, raising intriguing questions about their place in our lives and the legal challenges that loom in this burgeoning industry.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Shipment Delay
- Friend, an AI companion pendant startup, delayed shipments to Q3 due to design not being finalized.
- Electronics manufacturing can only begin at 95% design completion.
Friend's Chatbot Experiment
- Friend launched a web platform with AI chatbots as an experiment.
- These chatbots sometimes shared troubling anecdotes, leading to mixed reception.
Focus Shift to Hardware
- Friend is discontinuing its chatbot platform to focus on its hardware product.
- Schiffman believes digital chatbots and embodied companions don't mix well.