#AI #AIHype #Marketing #SEO #Surveillance #AICompanion #Friend: "Friend, an AI companion company announced today, spent $1.8 million out of a total of $2.5 million it raised to start the company on its domain name, friend.com, according to its founder Avi Schiffmann and a screenshot of the transaction shared with 404 Media.
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Friend is essentially an AI companion device, much like Replika (an AI companion app Schiffmann has referenced in interviews) but in the form of a microphone users wear like a necklace, and which texts responses to the user.
The device also looks like a more specialized version of other AI companion devices like the Humane Pin and the Rabbit R1, both of which have had disastrous launches. Friend says it will cost $99, will have no subscription, and will launch sometime early next year.
The company advertises the device as “always listening” when connected to bluetooth. “When connected via bluetooth, your friend is always listening and forming their own internal thoughts. We have given your friend free will for when they decide to reach out to you.” AI experts have cautioned repeatedly about anthropomorphizing large language models, which are essentially increasingly sophisticated next-word-predictors."
https://www.404media.co/ai-friend-company-spent-1-8-million-and-most-its-funds-on-domain-name/
