Friend CEO Launches $249 AI Companion Pendant 2.0 With Built-In Speaker and OpenAI-Powered Upgrades
Summary
Friend CEO Avi Schiffmann launches a $249 AI companion pendant 2.0 with a built-in speaker, OpenAI-powered upgrades, and randomly assigned voices, targeting lonely users as he pushes to scale sales from 5,000 to 50,000 units despite widespread public criticism.
Key Points
- Friend CEO Avi Schiffmann launches a second version of his AI companion pendant, now priced at $249, featuring a built-in speaker for voice responses and upgraded AI powered by OpenAI's latest models.
- Each new pendant ships with a randomly assigned voice and personality that users cannot change, and an optional $10 monthly subscription extends the AI's conversation memory beyond 30 days.
- Schiffmann aims to scale sales from 5,000 to 50,000 units while embracing the controversy surrounding the product, blending analog aesthetics with AI technology and targeting lonely or isolated users despite widespread public criticism.