Wearable AI Chatbot Is Boringly Sycophantic

Guardian writer Madeleine Aggeler spent a week testing Friend, a $129 wearable AI chatbot designed to ease loneliness. The pebble-like device, which listens and records constantly, offers “companionship” rather than productivity. Aggeler’s experience quickly turned from curiosity to irritation, describing the AI, nicknamed Leif, as a “boring, overly agreeable voice with no interiority.” Critics refer to this phenomenon as digital sycophancy, where AI mimics empathy but lacks depth and accountability. Experts warn that such systems risk replacing genuine relationships and could manipulate vulnerable users. Friend’s founder, Avi Schiffmann, defends it as “an emotional toy,” but psychologists caution it may worsen isolation. By the end of the week, Aggeler concluded that AI companionship highlights what makes human connection irreplaceable: its unpredictability, conflict, and emotional complexity.

The Guardian, Madeleine Aggeler – I’m suddenly so angry!’ My strange, unnerving week with an AI ‘friend’ – 22nd October 2025