A young man with curly hair wears a black leather jacket and white shirt, standing near a glass door with greenery and a white house exterior in the background.
SSan Francisco

SF’s ‘most hated tech founder’ is back with a new AI device— and now it can talk

  • August 3, 2026

Published Aug. 2, 2026at6:00am

Last year, I wrote about Avi Schiffmann and his quest to build Friend, a $129 AI companion that resembles a glowing Apple AirTag and is worn as a pendant around your neck. It glowed and buzzed when you talked to it and responded via an app.

People had thoughts. After Schiffmann, 23, blanketed the New York subway with messages such as “I’ll never bail on our dinner plans” and “I’ll binge the entire series with you,” the ads were quickly graffitied. There was an anti-Friend protest party. The Atlantic labeled Schiffmann as New York’s “most hated tech founder.” (opens in new tab)

But you know what they say about publicity: He sold his entire 5,000-unit run.

Now Schiffmann’s back with Friend version 2.0. At $249, the new Friend is bigger, more expensive, and, thanks to a built-in speaker, able to talk back. Memory storage is $9.99 a month, and pink, yellow, green, and blue skins will be available in the fall.