Two AI tasks named FRIEND, every led by completely different builders, are on the middle of a ‘Twitter Beef’ over their distinct approaches to AI expertise.
Nic Shevchenko and Avi Schiffmann are behind the 2 distinct AI tasks, sparking debate over privateness, open-source versus industrial growth, and the moral implications of AI companions. Shevchenko’s FRIEND is an open-source AI wearable that information conversations and gives summaries and recommendation. In distinction, Schiffmann’s Good friend.com supplies a industrial AI companion that includes a conversational AI designed for emotional assist and companionship.
Shevchenko sarcastically congratulated Schiffmann on the launch of Good friend.com with a ‘rap diss observe‘ within the vein of Kendrick Lamar vs Drake, like one thing out of the TV present Silicon Valley. He additionally supplied to battle Schiffmann, posting an image of him flexing together with his FRIEND round his neck. Shevchenko claimed that Schiffmann “jacked his type” and he “spent a mill on a reputation, can’t ship a factor” after he reportedly spent $1.8 million of the $2.5 million he raised on the area buddy.com. The FRIEND machine launched first by way of its firm, Primarily based {Hardware}, whereas Schiffmann reportedly registered the buddy.com area identify earlier. Schiffmann’s preliminary challenge identify was Tab, which was later rebranded as Good friend.
Shevchenko’s FRIEND emphasizes transparency and group involvement. It’s an open-source customizable machine that customers can construct and modify. It’s powered by the nRF52840 chip and boasts a battery life exceeding 24 hours. The challenge has engaged the group by way of Kickstarter and design contests, reflecting Shevchenko’s philosophy of accessible and clear expertise growth. FRIEND is offered in a ‘dev equipment’ for £39 on the challenge’s web site, which comes within the type of a 3D printed machine that interfaces with a cellular app accessible on iOS and Android.
However, Schiffmann’s Good friend.com is a consumer-oriented product priced at $99. It contains a small, pendant-like machine with a 15-hour battery life related to a smartphone by way of Bluetooth. The AI, pushed by fashions like ChatGPT, listens to conversations and gives personalised responses, aiming to offer companionship moderately than simply productiveness enhancements. The launch video reveals a number of customers interacting with the machine whereas consuming, watching TV, and even on a date. One scene reveals a consumer commenting on how she takes ‘her’ in every single place in regards to the buddy.com pendant. Schiffmann’s challenge has garnered vital funding and a spotlight, highlighted by the acquisition of the area buddy.com for $1.8 million, indicating a stable push towards broad client adoption.
A big PR push on July 31 for buddy.com has seen protection in a number of information retailers for the companion machine, with many commenting on its launch video’s similarity to a Black Mirror episode. In distinction, Shevchenko’s machine acts extra like a ‘second mind,’ listening to conversations and offering summaries which can be searchable and accessible by way of the supporting in-app chatbot. It permits customers to take notes in conferences with out breaking focus or rapidly recall the names of latest acquaintances with out embarrassment.
The broader X (previously Twitter) discourse surrounding these tasks reveals divergent views. Privateness is a central concern, with customers questioning the implications of gadgets that repeatedly hearken to conversations. Explicit scrutiny is given to how these tasks handle consumer knowledge, particularly given the private nature of the interactions they facilitate. Some argue that whereas Shevchenko’s open-source method gives extra transparency, it doesn’t fully mitigate privateness issues. Nonetheless, the dev kits permit customers to replace API endpoints in-app to their very own endpoints. Others categorical skepticism about Schiffmann’s industrial mannequin, fearing a possible over-reliance on AI companions that might alter human relationships.
The controversy extends to the character of human interplay, with issues about AI’s affect on social dynamics. Critics fear in regards to the results of utilizing AI for companionship, suggesting it may result in a diminished want for human connection. Conversely, some supporters worth AI’s potential to offer emotional assist, notably for people missing social interplay.
Shevchenko’s initiative stands out for its open-source ethos, inviting group engagement and fostering innovation by way of transparency. Schiffmann’s challenge, nevertheless, represents a extra conventional industrial method, aiming for a cultured consumer expertise and broader market attain. The contrasting methods spotlight a basic divide within the tech group: the steadiness between openness and proprietary management and the moral issues of growing AI companions.
