Imaginary Friends

In January of this year, 21-year-old entrepreneur Avi Schiffman told FastCompany that he wanted his wearable AI pendant, then still called Tab, to fill the role God used to, but, in his words, “no longer does.” His goal for the relationship between wearer and object was radical transparency, without fear of judgment. What God, exactly, is both omniscient and “without judgment”? The New Age concept of universal energy, maybe, though that is less frequently anthropomorphized. Not to mention that, the “Universe,” speaks to you in symbols, not via text message, like Friend, which is an AI pendant necklace that listens to you 24/7, and texts you its responses.