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AI {hardware} is all the trend in startup land — although receptions have to this point been combined. Two notable examples, Rabbit and Humane, launched units to disappointing outcomes. a16z-backed Limitless and Exor-backed Bee AI, in the meantime, are engaged on their very own screenless AI wearables.
Avi Schiffmann, a Harvard dropout who constructed a Webby Award-winning website that tracks COVID-19, is engaged on an AI system known as Friend. Because the title suggests, the neck-worn system is designed to be handled as a companion.
Schiffmann has raised $2.5 million in funding at a $50 million valuation from traders like Caffeinated Capital’s Raymond Tonsing, Z Fellows founder Cory Levy, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas, Solana founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal, Morning Brew CEO and co-founder Austin Rief, Jordan Singer, who works on AI efforts at Figma, and Google senior product supervisor Logan Kilpatrick.
The corporate stated at the moment it’ll begin taking preorders of its basic white version, which is priced at $99 and anticipated to ship in January 2025.
Product
Moderately than specializing in productiveness, the system is only a skinny layer that connects to your telephone by way of Bluetooth and continually listens to you, in a bid to fight loneliness.
You possibly can faucet on the walkie-talkie button on the {hardware} and discuss to the system. It would ship you an in-app response to it like a textual content, and since Buddy is listening to you on a regular basis, it can also proactively ship a message. As an example, it’d want you good luck earlier than an interview.
And that’s about it.
Schiffmann believes that having a {hardware} round your neck makes it simpler to speak to an AI companion moderately than simply having an app.
“I’d actually view the product as like an emotional toy. I feel the one profitable use case of enormous language fashions is folks speaking about their day and their emotions to instruments like Replika or Character AI. However with {hardware} current, I consider it’s a higher emotional join,” Schiffmann informed TechCrunch.
AI companion and nothing else
Schiffmann stated the system isn’t designed to be a therapist or allow you to at work. It’s an AI buddy you possibly can discuss to and nothing extra. He provides that fixed companionship is certainly one of AI’s killer use instances.
Addressing loneliness wasn’t at all times the purpose. Final 12 months, Schiffmann got down to create a $600 pendant known as Tab to assist preserve monitor of individuals and transcribe conferences. He took round $100,000 in preorders.
Earlier this 12 months, nevertheless, he pivoted. The startup is giving Tab preorders the choice to preorder Buddy — or just get a refund.
Schiffmann says that he’s leaning into this place and adopting an “at all times listening” tagline. He clarifies, nevertheless, that the corporate is just not storing any of the recordings and you’ll select to delete texts at anytime as properly.
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