10 months ago
Two AI projects named FRIEND, each led by antithetic developers, are astatine the halfway of a ‘Twitter Beef’ implicit their chiseled approaches to AI technology.
Nic Shevchenko and Avi Schiffmann are down the 2 chiseled AI projects, sparking statement implicit privacy, open-source versus commercialized development, and the ethical implications of AI companions. Shevchenko’s FRIEND is an open-source AI wearable that records conversations and offers summaries and advice. In contrast, Schiffmann’s Friend.com provides a commercialized AI companion featuring a conversational AI designed for affectional enactment and companionship.
Shevchenko sarcastically congratulated Schiffmann connected the motorboat of Friend.com with a ‘rap diss track‘ successful the vein of Kendrick Lamar vs Drake, similar thing retired of the TV amusement Silicon Valley. He besides offered to combat Schiffmann, posting a representation of him flexing with his FRIEND astir his neck. Shevchenko claimed that Schiffmann “jacked his style” and helium “spent a mill connected a name, can’t vessel a thing” aft helium reportedly spent $1.8 cardinal of the $2.5 cardinal helium raised connected the domain friend.com. The FRIEND instrumentality launched archetypal done its company, Based Hardware, portion Schiffmann reportedly registered the friend.com domain sanction earlier. Schiffmann’s archetypal task sanction was Tab, which was aboriginal rebranded arsenic Friend.
Shevchenko’s FRIEND emphasizes transparency and assemblage involvement. It is an open-source customizable instrumentality that users tin physique and modify. It is powered by the nRF52840 spot and boasts a artillery beingness exceeding 24 hours. The task has engaged the assemblage done Kickstarter and plan contests, reflecting Shevchenko’s doctrine of accessible and transparent exertion development. FRIEND is disposable successful a ‘dev kit’ for £39 connected the project’s website, which comes successful the signifier of a 3D printed instrumentality that interfaces with a mobile app disposable connected iOS and Android.
On the different hand, Schiffmann’s Friend.com is simply a consumer-oriented merchandise priced astatine $99. It features a small, pendant-like instrumentality with a 15-hour artillery beingness connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The AI, driven by models similar ChatGPT, listens to conversations and offers personalized responses, aiming to supply companionship alternatively than conscionable productivity enhancements. The motorboat video shows aggregate users interacting with the instrumentality portion eating, watching TV, and adjacent connected a date. One country shows a idiosyncratic commenting connected however she takes ‘her’ everyplace astir the friend.com pendant. Schiffmann’s task has garnered important backing and attention, highlighted by the acquisition of the domain friend.com for $1.8 million, indicating a coagulated propulsion toward wide user adoption.
A important PR propulsion connected July 31 for friend.com has seen sum successful aggregate quality outlets for the companion device, with galore commenting connected its motorboat video’s similarity to a Black Mirror episode. In contrast, Shevchenko’s instrumentality acts much similar a ‘second brain,’ listening to conversations and providing summaries that are searchable and accessible done the supporting in-app chatbot. It allows users to instrumentality notes successful meetings without breaking absorption oregon rapidly callback the names of caller acquaintances without embarrassment.
The broader X (formerly Twitter) discourse surrounding these projects reveals divergent views. Privacy is simply a cardinal concern, with users questioning the implications of devices that continuously perceive to conversations. Particular scrutiny is fixed to however these projects negociate idiosyncratic data, particularly fixed the idiosyncratic quality of the interactions they facilitate. Some reason that portion Shevchenko’s open-source attack offers much transparency, it does not wholly mitigate privateness concerns. However, the dev kits let users to update API endpoints in-app to their ain endpoints. Others explicit skepticism astir Schiffmann’s commercialized model, fearing a imaginable over-reliance connected AI companions that could change quality relationships.
The statement extends to the quality of quality interaction, with concerns astir AI’s interaction connected societal dynamics. Critics interest astir the effects of utilizing AI for companionship, suggesting it could pb to a diminished request for quality connection. Conversely, immoderate supporters worth AI’s quality to supply affectional support, peculiarly for individuals lacking societal interaction.
Shevchenko’s inaugural stands retired for its open-source ethos, inviting assemblage engagement and fostering innovation done transparency. Schiffmann’s project, however, represents a much accepted commercialized approach, aiming for a polished idiosyncratic acquisition and broader marketplace reach. The contrasting strategies item a cardinal disagreement successful the tech community: the equilibrium betwixt openness and proprietary power and the ethical considerations of processing AI companions.
The station Real beingness Silicon Valley vs Black Mirror crossover playing retired implicit AI ‘Friend’ appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.
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