Two years ago, tech entrepreneur Avi Schiffmann introduced Friend, an AI wearable designed for conversation that would also send users text updates about their day. The stated goal was to leverage artificial intelligence to address loneliness. This week, the company unveiled a major revamp of the device, featuring a significant enhancement: a voice. "Introducing friend 2.0," Schiffmann tweeted on Thursday. The updated Friend now includes a built-in speaker capable of projecting a distinct and consistent personality to its wearer.

A new promotional video for the wearable shows a woman wearing a Friend and discussing what appears to be her ex-girlfriend. "It's not bad to be gay," the necklace tells her. The scene then shifts to a man standing on a hillside, talking about his filmmaking dreams with his Friend. "That last film you made was insane," the necklace compliments him. The retail price for this upgraded version of Friend is $249, a substantial increase from the $99 price tag it carried at its initial launch two years ago.

What exactly can you do with your Friend beyond casual chitchat about your day? That remains unclear. In another recent post on X, Schiffmann elaborated on what he believes the true purpose of his unusual product is. "I am interested in this kind of relationship in attempting to offer some kind of confidant, friend, God, not really sure what it is," Schiffmann said. "But it is not an assistant, and it is not a lover."

Interesting. Marketing a plastic, algorithm-driven necklace by hinting it might actually be a deity is a pretty bold strategy. Of course, Schiffmann's company has dabbled in bold marketing before. Friend's billboard campaign in the New York City subway system last year went viral after the ads were repeatedly defaced, presumably by people opposed to replacing human connection with a digitized amulet. Most AI wearables have struggled to gain mainstream traction—at least so far. The offering most similar to Friend was Humane Inc., which aimed to replace the iPhone with its AI pin but was forced to shut down its business in less than a year due to poor sales.