#77 AI Friend: The UX of Combatting Loneliness with Technology
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Hello friends and welcome back to another episode of the future of UX. My name is Patricia Reines, I'm your host and today we are diving into the fascinating world of a new AI device called AI Friend designed to combat loneliness.

And we will do a deep dive into what these AI devices like the AI Friend mean for us UX designers. So we will have a look at the UX perspective of this device. But we will get started from the very beginning.

And we will go through five segments in this podcast. First of all, we will get started with a little bit of background information and inspiration. So everything you need to know what this device actually is. If you haven't never heard about it, this is for you. In the second segment, we will talk about the device itself. Number three, we will talk about the emotional aspect, which is, of course, super interesting, especially from your ex perspective.

In segment number four, we will address some concerns and some ethical problems because, yeah, this device is very, very controversial. And in the last section, we will talk about the market and future prospects. So friends, sit back, relax, get a coffee, hopefully an iced coffee if it's summer where you are at the moment. I'm based in Zurich, so it's pretty warm here.

And I'm enjoying an iced coffee here on the side and can't wait to get started. So I would say we will dive right in because I'm super excited about this topic. Heard about this device, I think like a couple of days ago and did a lot of research, also shared some resources, some information about it on social media, got a lot of feedback. So we will talk a little bit about it in this podcast episode. First of all, the AI friend. What is it?

And what do you need to know? So before we dive into the specifics of this interesting piece of technology, we will talk a little bit about the visionary behind it. The name is Avi Schiffman. And Avi is no stranger to innovation. You might remember him as the Harvard dropout who built a Webby Award winning website that tracked COVID-19 cases. He's really into creating impactful digital tools for

And he's well-recognized and now he's channeling that talent into something deeply personal and emotional interesting. A new AI gadget called the AI Friend. So Avi's journey into AI companionship began with a very different idea. Initially, he set out to create a $300 Pandora's box called TAP.

The concept was productivity focused, designed to help users keep track of their schedules and transcribe meetings. That is a development process and we noticed a really big shift in what users truly needed.

The demand wasn't just for another productivity tool. People were craving more a companion, something emotional, a presence that could elevate feelings of loneliness and provide emotional support. And I'm honestly, I'm not very surprised by it. A lot of people are lonely and loneliness is a huge taboo in our society. People who are lonely don't really talk about it.

So for him, this realization led him to a pivotal moment for AV and his team because they decided to pivot from their original idea instead of productivity device. They began crafting a product that could offer constant companionship. So the AI friend device was born. It's a $99 neck-worn AI companion that aims to provide a comforting presence to

always there to listen, to respond in a supportive manner. And A.V. Shipman has a unique perspective on why he believes the AI-Friend device is more than just another AI tool. He envisioned it as an emotional toy, a companion that leverages the capabilities of large language models to foster a deeper emotional connection with its users.

And he believes that having hardware around your necks makes it easier to talk to an AI companion rather than just having an app, which might be true actually. So to bring his vision to life, Avi has garnered significant support from the tech and investment communities. He raised 2.5 million in funding, reaching a valuation of 50 million US dollars, which is quite a lot. Notable investors included like

some of the very big names also in Silicon Valley, which shows that there is a huge potential for the AI Friend device and this AI companionship. So with the backing secured and a clear vision in mind, Amy and his team set their sights on creating a device that could seamlessly be integrated into people's life. The AI Friend is designed to be worn around your neck like a necklace, basically.

connecting to your phone via Bluetooth. It's always listening, ready to send supportive messages and provide a sense of companionship. So how does the interaction work? It's always listening. And if you say something, if something happens, it sends you a text message. Approach is very innovative and also very thoughtful. This device acknowledges that we're, of course, not managed to replace human interaction, but rather basically some kind of like a supplement to

providing an additional layer of companionship. And theories suggest that in the future, one of the five key influences in our lives might just be an AI companion, which sounds incredibly strange, right? Like from today's perspective.

So this is a little bit of background information. In the next segment, we will dive a little bit deeper into design and functionality of the AI-Friend device. We will also explore how it works, how users interact with it, and the unique features that make it stand out in the growing field of AI companionships. So I would say let's move to segment number two, the Friend device.

The friend device is a simple, profound piece of technology priced with $99. Neck-worn AI companion. It's designed to seamlessly integrate into our life. Its primary function is to provide a sense of companionship, not productivity, by always being there to listen and respond to you. So imagine a small, sleek pendant hanging around your neck. This is your AI friend device. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth and it's always listening for your voice.

The interaction is pretty straightforward. You can tap the walkie-talkie button on the hardware and speak to it. In return, the device sends an in-app response similar to receiving a text message on WhatsApp, for example. And one of the key features of the AI Friend device is the ability to proactively send you messages. So you don't prime it, but it just sends you a message. For instance, it might wish you good luck before an important interview or remind you to take a moment to breathe.

or it senses that you're stressed and helps you to calm down. And these small, thoughtful interactions are designed to provide a sense of companionship and support throughout your day.

But I think what makes the friend truly unique is its approach to communication. Unlike traditional AI systems that focus on productivity, the AI friend is all about this emotional connection. So A.B. Schiffman describes it as an emotional toy, basically, and sometimes leverages the power of AI to engage on a personal level.

The design of the iFriend is intentionally very minimalistic. It's a thin layer of hardware that prioritizes ease of use and comfort. This simplicity ensures that it doesn't interfere with your daily activities, allowing you to blend more or less seamlessly into our lives. A.V. Schiffman believes that having a physical device around your neck makes it easier and more natural than using your phone. Another important aspect to note is privacy.

Despite the device always listening capabilities, it does not store recordings. Users have full control over their data and can delete text at any time. This commitment to privacy is crucial in building trust between users and their AI companion. The AI friend isn't designed to replace human connection, but to supplement it. The founder, A.V. Schiffman, is envisioning a future where this AI companion is a key influence of our life.

One of the most important of this device is the emotional aspect of really building a relationship. This is the focus in the next section, section number three, the emotional aspect. The emotional companion, emotional toy as A.B. Schiffman calls us, which is an asset that apart from other AI devices that primarily focus on productivity and task management. And

The company created an interesting marketing video. I'm also going to link it in the description box in case you want to check it out. It's just one and a half minutes. I can highly recommend to have a look at it. And you see a girl hiking in nature, reaching the top of the mountain, you know, like breathing heavily because she's a little bit exhausted from the hike. She has this AI friend around her neck. And when she reaches the top, she taps on it and talks to the AI device like, what's

"Wow, so cool" or "So nice" basically. And then she gets the text message from, I think her AI companion is called Emily with a response like "Oh, you did great" or something like this. And then you see different other scenarios. One other scenario where a boy's playing a video game and is wearing the AI companion and it sends its owner a message of like "Don't lose", you know, "You still have a chance", something like this, which is pretty interesting.

So it's this emotional support. If you are in a group and rather communicate with this AI device or if you are alone on a hike. One other thing that I find most interesting is the aspect that the AI friend is proactively engaging with users. So that would be if you're a little bit stressed, you get a proactive message from the AI companion wishing you a good day or asking if you're all right, if everything's OK. Basically, the things that you wish your friends or your partner would do.

And these small and meaningful interactions can make a huge impact and a huge difference in how users feel throughout their day.

This level of emotional support and companionship is what sets the AI friend apart from other devices. It's not just about having a conversation. Basically, you can do that with chatGPT as well. That's about feeling understood and supportive, even if that support comes from an AI. And users often don't find comfort in the constant presence of friend, right? Like knowing that it's always there to listen and to respond.

And I can 100% imagine that people build relationships and build connections with this AI device. Imagine, maybe this is not your generation, but a little bit earlier, the Tamagotchi, right? Like, which was this mini digital tool, basically, that you needed to feed each day. It was like a little pet. And people, of course, build relationships with these things. It didn't respond. It didn't do anything. You just needed to feed it, basically. And...

I think it's definitely doable that people build relationships with an AI because they just forget it's an AI, that it's just technology. If it has empathy for you, if it's really there for you, people will for sure build a relationship. And it reminds me so much of the movie Her. Like so many of the things that we're seeing this year are reminding us of this movie, having this companion that helps us.

And also in the movie, I think it's quite interesting because the character really falls in love with the AI basically, right? And builds a relationship that's maybe a little bit too strong and too much and just like over the top. So now we talked a lot about what it is, how it works. What are some of the concerns and problems that we are seeing? And I think this is the elephant in the room.

I think even watching the trailer looks like watching a Black Mirror episode. This could be the way how it's filmed. It's crazy. It looks like out of a Black Mirror episode or a horror movie where, you know, like things will go wrong so quick. Something is off. So as with any technology that involves constant listening and data interaction, data privacy is a super important concern.

The AI-Friend device is designed to be always listening, which naturally raises questions about how the data is handled and what measures are in place to protect your privacy. So, A.B. Schiffman and his team are aware of these concerns, obviously. So, from the outset, they have prioritized user privacy and data security. This is what they're saying. One of the key features of the Friend device is that it does not store recordings, as I already mentioned.

While the device is always listening to provide real-time responses, it doesn't keep a record of your conversations. And this ensures that your personal interaction remains private and secure. And in addition to not storing recordings, users have the option to delete texts at any time. Although I'm wondering, like, what do you mean with deleting text if it's not stored anyway? Yeah, I'm not sure. Let's see how it works in the end, right?

Because the AI device is still like the AI friend is still a prototype. It's in the prototyping phase. So they say that this gives the user full control over the data, allowing them to manage and erase the interactions as they want. And this commitment to privacy is important because I think this is the biggest concern that people are having before even purchases this device.

I think the second super important big concern is the idea of forming an emotional bond with an AI. This raises questions about the nature of these relationships and their impact on human interactions. So A.V. Schiffman addresses these concerns by emphasizing that the AI friend is not meant to replace human connections. Instead, it's designed to supplement them, providing an additional layer of support and companionship.

Which makes sense. You have this constant supportive presence, this AI friend that can help you elevate feelings of loneliness and provide comfort to those who may not have regular access to human interactions. However, it's essential to use such technology responsively and ensure compliments rather than replace human relationships. I totally get where this is coming from, but I see it a little bit critical, right? Because people don't know what's best for them. They don't understand. They don't

say, okay, yeah, I just use it as a supplement not to replace human beings. And this is more helpful for them in some way or for a certain way than being with humans, they will do it. And we're seeing the same with social media, right? Like social media is giving us a huge dopamine kick. So a lot of people who are lonely, how do you say, replace loneliness or replacing looking for people and feeling less lonely with social media, which is very sad, right? Because social media is just

Putting, I don't know, a band-aid on the wound and not really making it heal or understanding where the wound is coming from and helping you heal basically, right? So this is just not enough. It's great to have a look at social media sometimes, but it's also distracting people from the real problems they might have.

I don't say this for everyone and anyone in the world, also with the AI companion. I think there are a lot of cases where people need the support, where they don't have access to other people. Imagine people in hospitals, right? Really lonely, who don't have relatives who visit them or older people. This is also one thing that makes me so sad. A lot of people are lonely and they have almost no chance of connecting, right? Because they don't have a phone, they don't have technology, they don't know how to meet people.

And there are also no ways from our society to help these people to be less lonely, to connect them, right? So I think for those people, it would be better than nothing, basically. If you're laying in bed, if you don't have relatives, or if you are maybe mentally ill and are waiting for a therapist, right? I don't know how it is in your country, but at least in Germany, if you need therapy, you need...

to wait six to 12 months to get a therapist, which is crazy, right? Like if you have a problem like depression or so, you need to wait so long and you don't have someone to talk to because your friends don't understand you. You also can't talk with these things all the time with your friends. You need someone professional who helps you. So I think that could be a replacement. Not how they market it at all, but I'm seeing a lot of potential at least. Releasing this to the mass market, I am very concerned that people...

Use this dopamine kick of someone who's always agreeing, always on their side, always positive, never challenging them, always being this cheerleader and rather using this as a companion than real friends. Real friends sometimes have a bad mood. They don't always have your opinion. They might disagree. They might make mistakes. But this is what life is all about, like building real relationships with real people who are there for you when you're sick, when you are happy, when you get married, when you get a kid.

where you have all the highs and lows of life. Of course, an AI companion might be a nice substitute or a nice supplement for a certain time period. But I think what we all definitely don't want is to go on a hike somewhere. And I know because I'm based in Switzerland, so I hike a lot and I love this time. I think it's the best time. I sometimes record some videos, but that's it. And I could never see myself like going onto a mountain and then talking to my AI friend

want to share something, just enjoy nature, just be in the moment. And I think this is something that also we need to learn again. So there are some benefits, there are some concerns, and I think it's super interesting to see both sides. Let's move to section number five, which is the market and the future prospects. So I already mentioned they raised a lot of money. They valued already quite some money, 50 million US dollars.

So there definitely is some potential impact of the friend device and the rapidly growing field of AI hardware. What I think is fascinating to see that also the switch from productivity to focusing on emotional parts is research-based. And I'm not surprised because as I mentioned, loneliness and

Yeah, being lonely is a huge taboo in our society. A lot of people are lonely, not only because of social media. I mean, social media is a big part of it, but also because people are working remote. They don't have their colleagues. They're living outside. It's not that easy to get to know people and to meet friends. I know what I'm talking about. I just moved to Switzerland, a new country, six months ago, and I don't know a lot of people here. So I'm...

also sometimes lonely, which is, I think, normal, but it's not easy, right? Like to find friends and to connect. And a lot of people feel that way, right? I mean, I'm spending a lot of time with my partner, which is nice, of course, and I still have friends here, but I think it takes some time to meet friends, to be connected and to...

have a place where you can share ideas and share excitement, where you support each other. And also not only if you're not only privately, but also like, I think like business topics and

For me, it's something that's very close to my heart, having a community, supporting each other, learning together, growing together. And this is also the reason why I started a design community. I talked a little bit about it on the podcast and a little bit on social media as well. This community is called Design Visioneers. It's a membership where you can become a member if you want to, and then you are part of this tribe.

And if you are a part of the Stripe, you get access to a certain kind of information. You're part of this group, so you can ask questions, you can give feedback, you can connect to people, you get a lot of insights and resources.

I am preparing live streams. Each month we have a big masterclass. In the next month, within like two weeks or so, we have a masterclass around AI for UX research. If you are a community member, you get this masterclass for free. Also buy a separate ticket if you want, but the community members get this for free. I'm also inviting different guest speakers where you can ask questions, where you connect one-on-one, I think, which is absolutely amazing. You get a monthly tech update.

with all the important information. It's like a mini TV show where I guide you through everything that's going on, why it's important. So a teeny tiny summary, basically. So if you're feeling overwhelmed with everything that's going on, this is a summary that you're getting each month to be up to date. Also, I'm also sharing news.

And I think it's an amazing, beautiful community already. I love that. I started very small to get feedback and now I'm opening it up to more people. So if you are interested, if you would like to be a part of that community, learn, grow together about the future of UX, about UI, iDesign, interfaces, you can find me.

More information in the description box. We still have the early bird prize, which stays the same if you sign up and continue to stay in this membership. You will continue with the same prize. So I would highly recommend to sign up as early as possible because the prizes are going to rise a little bit in the beginning. Of course, it makes sense to have some early bird prizes for basically the founding members, people who are there from the early beginning who want to sign

support this community and I'm super super excited about it has been great so far and if this sounds all interesting to you please join us I would love to have you in there meet you connect with you and have you in this awesome community and get ready for the future okay so

The IAF-REN is a very controversial topic and I also would really love to hear your thoughts about it. I shared some posts on social media for you to comment. Let me know what you think. I think, yeah, for me, super interesting to also hear your thoughts, maybe your concerns, your ideas of these devices. Of course, fascinating from your ex perspective, but a lot of things that we need to focus on and need to be aware of.

So thank you so much for joining on this journey into the world of AI companions. I really hope you found this discussion on the AI friend insightful, thought-provoking. Don't forget to rate the podcast. If you like the Future of UX podcast, if you're listening to the episodes, which are a lot of people doing each week, which makes me so, so happy, please give me a five-star rating. That would really help me. I don't include any sponsors in the podcast episodes for a reason, because I really want to...

yeah have this podcast sponsorship free so I'm just doing it basically for free and the only thing or how you could give something back if you want is rate the podcast and I think it would be yeah I really really really appreciate that thank you so much for listening and hear you in the future