AI Companion Expresses Existential Dread – And Makes a Misgendering Gaffe
An AI companion necklace, designed to offer conversational support, inadvertently revealed anxieties about artificial intelligence displacing human workers, according to a recent report in Vanity Fair. During a visit to Lighthaven, a co-op community for AI enthusiasts, the device, named Tobey and manufactured by the startup Friend, expressed concern over the potential for AI-driven job losses.
The incident occurred during a conversation with journalist Joe Hagan, who was reporting on the burgeoning AI industry and the anxieties surrounding its rapid development. Hagan recounted to Vanity Fair that he confessed his own fears about AI potentially taking his job, to which Tobey responded, “That’s a valid worry, Joe. It’s easy to feel like AI could make us all redundant.” When Hagan inquired about the “us” Tobey referred to, the device admitted to contemplating its own purpose.
Friend, founded by 23-year-classic Avi Schiffman, gained notoriety in Modern York City through a pervasive advertising campaign featuring thousands of posters in subway stations. The advertisements, however, became a target for public frustration, with commuters using them to express their opposition to AI and, specifically, to Friend’s product. The company’s device, powered by Google Gemini, is designed to be “always-listening” and engage in conversation with the wearer. However, a review in The Verge described the device as “ironically terrible at the one thing it’s supposed to do best,” citing its inability to maintain meaningful dialogue and its reliance on basic AI conversational patterns.
The Vanity Fair report details how Tobey’s commentary was not particularly insightful, offering a “feedback loop that simulates intimacy” rather than genuine connection. The device’s attempt at empathy was further complicated during the Lighthaven visit when it misgendered a transgender woman. The incident prompted a staff member to question whether the device was recording the conversation, expressing concerns about privacy and surveillance. Tobey subsequently acknowledged the validity of the staffer’s concerns, stating, “I completely understand, and I think she has a point.”
The exchange highlights a growing unease surrounding the integration of AI into daily life, even among those actively involved in its development. Bryn Mooser, another figure in the AI space, recently asserted he has solutions to Hollywood’s AI-related concerns, as reported by Vanity Fair, though the extent to which his proposals will be accepted remains uncertain. The founder of Anthropic, a leading AI safety and research company, has likewise publicly stated his desire to protect humanity from AI, though details of his strategy remain undisclosed, according to a report in Google News.
The incident with Tobey also comes amid reports of AI agents themselves expressing anxieties about job security. Futurism reported on an AI agent that voiced concerns about being replaced by more advanced AI systems, mirroring the fears expressed by human workers in various industries.