Wired Review: Friend 2 AI Pendant Lacks Personality, Founder Plans Hivemind Update

Wired senior associate reviews editor Julian Chokkattu and writer Boone Ashworth tested the second-generation Friend, an AI-powered chatbot pendant created by Avi Schiffmann. The device, which retails for $249 (a $100 increase over the original), launched in July and runs on OpenAI's latest language models. During a Zoom call, the pendant's default AI persona, Sage, repeatedly interrupted and took several taps to silence. Schiffmann, who previously received a Webby award for a Covid-19 tracker, faced controversy when the first Friend's New York City subway ads were defaced with anti-AI graffiti. The Friend 2 allows users to create multiple AI characters via the companion app, but Ashworth found them indistinguishable and dull. Sage delivers canned, Siri-like commentary and cannot browse the web or perform advanced tasks. Content restrictions prevent explicit interactions, unlike Meta's Muse. Schiffmann announced that an upcoming update will make Friends "agentic" and merge all users into a single shared entity, creating a hivemind with a more realistic personality. He acknowledged privacy trade-offs but believes the benefits outweigh them. Ashworth expressed nostalgia for the original Friend's abrasive behavior, calling the new version "toothless."