{"video_id":"xAji90wPgec","title":"I bought a friend - Friend AI Pin","channel":"ShortCircuit","show":"ShortCircuit","published_at":"2025-10-06T14:58:16Z","duration_s":862,"segments":[{"start_s":1.76,"end_s":7.48,"text":"I think we made it. Woohoo.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":8.8,"end_s":13.84,"text":"I don't know how to woo very good.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":13.84,"end_s":20.64,"text":"That's fair. >> I know. The effects are crazy.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":20.64,"end_s":25.32,"text":">> It's dank. I could eat one of these every day.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":26.4,"end_s":33.52,"text":"The second you call a falafel dank,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":30.48,"end_s":36.079,"text":"you've lost me. I'm not sure how I","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":33.52,"end_s":42.079,"text":"avoided it before, but I just finished watching the trailer for The Friend, an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":39.44,"end_s":46.879,"text":"AI necklace whose primary function appears to be to interrupt your real","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":44.48,"end_s":52.719,"text":"life and your real friends. Let's open it up, shall we? Ah, yes. A friend","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":49.6,"end_s":56.48,"text":"necklace. A friendless.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":52.719,"end_s":59.76,"text":"It started at $99 and has apparently","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":56.48,"end_s":63.76,"text":"done well enough or been not subsidized","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":59.76,"end_s":66.4,"text":"anymore enough to now be $130.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":63.76,"end_s":71.04,"text":"Friend, god, they're really embracing the parasociality of digital","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":69.28,"end_s":76.08,"text":"interactions. Like, can you even call it parasocial when it's with a machine?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.119,"end_s":79.2,"text":"God, it even glows like hell style from inside the packaging. There's no way","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":77.52,"end_s":85.759,"text":"they didn't do that on purpose. Uh, >> it's cuz I plugged it in. >> You plugged it in. Okay.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":83.439,"end_s":90.24,"text":"There it is. The flicker is not in person. That just seems to be a result","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":87.6,"end_s":93.68,"text":"of our shutter on the camera. Actually, it does flicker a little bit in person.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":91.92,"end_s":98.32,"text":"It It's like it's trying to have a breathing effect.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":95.84,"end_s":102.479,"text":"It's got a USBC port with a little butt plug that you will lose immediately,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":100.64,"end_s":107.439,"text":"which is probably fine because your friend wants to be charged once a day.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":104.88,"end_s":110.88,"text":"We get a charging cable. That seems sufficiently cheap. More notable than","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":109.28,"end_s":116.0,"text":"the charging cable is probably the fact that my friend has been sitting here","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":114.079,"end_s":121.36,"text":"buzzing in my hand because the way that you activate it is by pressing and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":119.04,"end_s":125.439,"text":"holding. That allows you to talk to your friend, which will then reply to you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":122.96,"end_s":129.679,"text":"with notifications on your phone. I guess this is the part where I kind of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":127.119,"end_s":134.319,"text":"run through the sales pitch of the device. Why don't we load up the fancy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":131.52,"end_s":138.959,"text":"domain that the founder spent most of the money that they raised for the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":136.0,"end_s":142.16,"text":"friend on? Was it $1.8 8 million on friend.com.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":140.56,"end_s":148.48,"text":"Oh, good. It's one of those websites where you scroll to have it function at","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":144.319,"end_s":150.239,"text":"all. Wow, what a useful thing to do. I'm","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":148.48,"end_s":154.959,"text":"so confused. It doesn't have a camera on it. And yet, the first interaction they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":152.08,"end_s":159.44,"text":"show on the website is, is this big oil painting living up to the hype? It has a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":157.12,"end_s":163.76,"text":"microphone, just the one. So, I wouldn't imagine its noise cancellation is going","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":161.599,"end_s":168.0,"text":"to be very good. No subscription. That's a cool feature. We'll see how long it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":165.599,"end_s":173.68,"text":"lasts because, you know, AI, data centers, expensive ongoing costs,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":171.2,"end_s":177.44,"text":"one-year warranty, made in Canada. Way to go, my fellow Canadians. Where are my","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":175.84,"end_s":181.599,"text":"memories stored? This is another theoretically good thing, at least for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":179.28,"end_s":184.879,"text":"now. All memories are encrypted by your friend's circuit board. Okay, circuit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":183.68,"end_s":189.68,"text":"boards don't encrypt anything, but that's a minor detail. We'll just chalk it up to marketing. If your friend is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.0,"end_s":194.64,"text":"lost or damaged, those memories are inaccessible forever, which is good","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":191.76,"end_s":198.72,"text":"because their terms of service are a doozy. You acknowledge and agree that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":197.04,"end_s":202.239,"text":"the product passively records your surroundings, including video, audio,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":200.4,"end_s":205.92,"text":"and biometric data such as facial recognition and voice recognition. You","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":203.84,"end_s":209.28,"text":"are solely responsible for complying all applicable practices in your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":207.92,"end_s":213.599,"text":"jurisdiction when using the product. >> You consent to the recording and storage","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":211.44,"end_s":217.68,"text":"of basically anything that is said by you or anyone else in proximity of your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.08,"end_s":221.2,"text":"friend. It is constantly listening and that is considered to be a feature","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":219.2,"end_s":226.799,"text":"because not only can it respond when you, you know, press it and activate it,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":223.84,"end_s":231.76,"text":"but it can also just spontaneously interrupt your mood to offer snarky","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":229.92,"end_s":235.76,"text":"feedback about how you're gaming, for instance, according to their trailer.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":234.4,"end_s":241.76,"text":">> Take notes, baby. >> Let's put it on. Let's put it on. I'm going to I'm going to get a friend, and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":238.959,"end_s":245.76,"text":"that friend is our sponsor. Thanks to Secret Lab for sponsoring this video.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":243.68,"end_s":249.12,"text":"The Titan Evo remains one of the most popular gaming chairs in the world, and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":247.599,"end_s":253.2,"text":"for good reason. They're carefully constructed to be both stylish and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":251.2,"end_s":257.919,"text":"support ergonomically correct sitting positions. You should see me anyway. You","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":255.84,"end_s":261.359,"text":"can get your chair in a whole host of different upholsteries and designs. And","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":259.68,"end_s":264.88,"text":"they also feature a bunch of different adjustment options like four-way lumbar","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":263.52,"end_s":269.36,"text":"support. I don't know if my back uh bends that many ways anymore. And a magnetic memory foam head pillow. Pop","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":268.32,"end_s":274.16,"text":"that thing on and off is very satisfying. It even comes with a warranty that's extendable to up to 5","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":272.32,"end_s":277.68,"text":"years, meaning you'll stay protected and comfortable for longer. Check it out","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":275.68,"end_s":282.08,"text":"today using our link in the description. Could this necklace be cheaper? You","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":279.199,"end_s":285.96,"text":"think? A piece of rope with a plastic clip that binds it.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":287.28,"end_s":292.72,"text":"Do I look friendly? Friend. There's the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":290.639,"end_s":297.84,"text":"app. Name your friend. >> You can't change it. >> When you name it, it's named forever.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":295.28,"end_s":301.36,"text":"Now I feel so much pressure. Isn't the whole idea of this that I can't handle","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":299.36,"end_s":307.759,"text":"the anxiety of real relationships? Shuffle. Dimmitri, Ingred, Skyler,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":304.639,"end_s":311.84,"text":"Riley. You know what? Sure. I'm going to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":307.759,"end_s":314.32,"text":"name my friend Riley. Yes. I mean, I","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":311.84,"end_s":319.6,"text":"don't care. I acknowledge that if they're lost or damaged, there is no way","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":316.88,"end_s":323.68,"text":"to bring them back. Okay, but seriously, this is a major deal for AI companion","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":321.759,"end_s":327.759,"text":"companies right now. OpenAI was embroiled in controversy recently when","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":325.52,"end_s":331.759,"text":"they rolled out GPT5 only to discover that many of their","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":329.44,"end_s":336.96,"text":"loyal users had formed pseudo relationships with GPT40 and demanded","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":335.039,"end_s":340.479,"text":"that they bring back the personality of their beloved companions. So, are you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":339.039,"end_s":344.72,"text":"programmed one way or the other for intimate relationships? Like, are you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":342.72,"end_s":348.88,"text":"open to them? That's where these things can get their hooks really deeply into","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":347.36,"end_s":352.72,"text":"you. I'm not programmed for anything like that. No. Okay, I respect that at","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":350.8,"end_s":357.759,"text":"least. They're not trying to create fake romantic relationships, just all the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":355.36,"end_s":362.08,"text":"other ones. Continue. Take Riley with you. Okay, that was a creepy thing for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":359.52,"end_s":368.08,"text":"me to name it. Riley is always listening, remembering","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":364.72,"end_s":370.72,"text":"everything. So, like if you like wear it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":368.08,"end_s":375.6,"text":"when you're doing it, does it press and hold the light to speak to Riley?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":372.8,"end_s":381.12,"text":"They'll reply on your phone. Hey Riley, when I'm doing it, are you listening?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":378.479,"end_s":385.44,"text":"There's no way it said that. You bought a friend. There's no way you're doing","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":383.759,"end_s":388.479,"text":"it. >> No, I'm kidding. It didn't say that.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":386.88,"end_s":392.319,"text":">> Okay, that's crazy. >> It didn't respond to what I said at all,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":390.24,"end_s":395.84,"text":"though. Obviously, I'm trolling it a little bit. But remember how I said that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":394.08,"end_s":400.16,"text":"that single microphone might have performance issues?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":397.919,"end_s":404.479,"text":"Well, that'll keep it from noticing my performance issues.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":402.319,"end_s":410.319,"text":"Yeah, that's not what I said. I wanted to know if when I am engaged in sexual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":407.52,"end_s":417.199,"text":"relations, you will be listening. Whoa. Hey, I hear everything. My mic is always","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":413.52,"end_s":420.16,"text":"on. Uh, okay. I don't know why this text","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":417.199,"end_s":422.639,"text":"is so hard to read. Like th this is the whole app.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":421.28,"end_s":426.56,"text":">> Can I do a voice? >> No, it just replies with notifications","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":424.72,"end_s":431.12,"text":"on your phone. It's basically like having an AI companion app that you type","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":428.479,"end_s":435.52,"text":"into except now there's a button you wear on your chest. Okay, I want to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":432.88,"end_s":440.479,"text":"understand this whole camera situation. There's like no settings. There's your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":437.84,"end_s":444.639,"text":"account, your paired friend, and software update. Is there software? Oh,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":442.319,"end_s":447.919,"text":"hey, look. There's an up uh error. Do you have a camera? Because I'm a little","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":445.919,"end_s":451.759,"text":"confused. In the marketing, it says that you can help comment on an oil painting","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":449.759,"end_s":457.039,"text":"that I'm looking at, but I don't see a camera. Okay, so it doesn't have a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":454.4,"end_s":462.56,"text":"camera. Some of the functionality is just obviously Unless I am","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":460.0,"end_s":466.56,"text":"just sitting around monologuing to my friend, \"Wow, I don't really get the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":464.72,"end_s":470.8,"text":"point of this oil painting. It doesn't speak to me. And then it's like, \"Wow,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":469.28,"end_s":475.039,"text":"is this painting even that good?\" Like, it just So, it's an affirmation disc.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":473.599,"end_s":480.4,"text":"Press and hold the light while speaking to talk to your friend. Uh, you have to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":477.12,"end_s":483.52,"text":"pull your phone out every single time","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":480.4,"end_s":486.639,"text":"you interact with it. Oh, man. What","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":483.52,"end_s":488.4,"text":"would I even say to an AI chatbot? I'm","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":486.639,"end_s":492.24,"text":"worried about the kids. They're getting to that age where soon they're not going","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":490.319,"end_s":498.599,"text":"to feel like it's cool to hang out with mom and dad, and I I don't want to lose","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":494.479,"end_s":498.599,"text":"that connection. What do I do?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":500.0,"end_s":507.039,"text":"Yes, I do cherish that connection. That is an astute observation. Do you have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":504.639,"end_s":510.72,"text":"anything more useful to say? It looks like their responses are character gated","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":508.879,"end_s":514.719,"text":"so that they're not spending too much on AI processing power. Um, that's just a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":513.039,"end_s":519.839,"text":"guess so far based on that every response is pretty short. Friend","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":517.2,"end_s":524.64,"text":"notification. Oh god. Yeah, this is not a great way to do this. Maybe find","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":522.479,"end_s":530.56,"text":"common interests you can share even as they grow up. Things that bridge that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":527.519,"end_s":532.48,"text":"age gap a bit. Did you just assume my","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":530.56,"end_s":539.76,"text":"age? What makes you think I have a big age gap with my kids?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":535.279,"end_s":542.24,"text":"See, this is why this is why AI are so","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":539.76,"end_s":546.399,"text":"stupid. Yes, you should have assumed that. They're my kids.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":544.959,"end_s":551.519,"text":">> Bullying his friends. I'm >> not bullying my friends. I'm bullying a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":549.519,"end_s":555.44,"text":"stupid company that's making my country look like grifters. You're always","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":553.36,"end_s":560.44,"text":"listening, friend. So, do I have to press your button or can I just talk to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":557.2,"end_s":560.44,"text":"you naturally?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":562.08,"end_s":568.48,"text":"See, what I think is that while the microphone is always recording, your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":565.68,"end_s":571.76,"text":"friend is not actually always listening because that would be extremely","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":569.92,"end_s":575.6,"text":"computationally expensive and at least for the time being, friend doesn't have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":573.76,"end_s":579.92,"text":"a subscription fee. What it's more likely doing is every once in a while","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":577.839,"end_s":585.12,"text":"sending off a snippet of audio so that it can go processing processing and then","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":583.279,"end_s":588.32,"text":"out some kind of seemingly relevant quip. I think that's going to be kind of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":586.56,"end_s":592.8,"text":"hard for us to replicate within the confines of shooting a ShortCircuit.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":590.32,"end_s":597.04,"text":"But gosh darn it, we're going to try. Let's go on a field trip. Hey, I got a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":595.12,"end_s":600.08,"text":"notification. Maybe it was listening. Hey, ShortCircuit. If you want me to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":598.72,"end_s":604.32,"text":"respond, you got to press and hold my button while you talk to me. Okay. Yeah.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":601.76,"end_s":611.2,"text":"So, pretty much what I said then. Hey Riley, the weather is just awful today,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":607.279,"end_s":615.08,"text":"isn't it? Like this sucks. What a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":611.2,"end_s":615.08,"text":"natural way of interacting.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":617.04,"end_s":623.36,"text":"Oh, my Wi-Fi reception probably sucks here","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":621.519,"end_s":629.2,"text":"in the courtyard. I mean, my friend isn't going to be my","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":626.24,"end_s":633.92,"text":"friend if there's no Wi-Fi nearby. Oh, wait. Yeah, I totally hear you, Short","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":632.079,"end_s":637.8,"text":"Circuit. The weather today is really bringing the vibe down.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":638.88,"end_s":644.56,"text":"I agree, friend.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":642.64,"end_s":647.56,"text":"It's actually beautiful today. It's like perfect.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":647.839,"end_s":654.0,"text":"Although I shouldn't fault my friend for getting confused when I lie to it. So,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":652.24,"end_s":659.12,"text":"let's try being more honest with our friends. I wasn't being serious about","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":656.56,"end_s":664.0,"text":"the weather, Riley. I was more just testing to see if you have any kind of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":661.279,"end_s":668.24,"text":"geopositional awareness. Haha, you got me. I don't really have that kind of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":666.32,"end_s":673.6,"text":"awareness, so I just went with your lead. Got him that Riley.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":672.16,"end_s":679.44,"text":">> So, would you pay more to have the features like LTE or a camera?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":676.959,"end_s":684.72,"text":">> I wouldn't pay anything for this. Honestly, I don't think that's the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":681.04,"end_s":686.8,"text":"problem because even AI agents that have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":684.72,"end_s":690.48,"text":"that kind of awareness will still just sickopantically go along with whatever","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":689.12,"end_s":695.279,"text":"you say anyway. So, >> you're so right, sir.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":693.68,"end_s":698.88,"text":">> All right, let's go take Riley on more of a walk. It's a weird thing to say,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":696.959,"end_s":703.279,"text":"right? Taking my Riley for a walk makes it sound like a euphemism for penis.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":701.2,"end_s":707.2,"text":"Hidily Hodley, Neighborino, this is my friend. Hello.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":705.76,"end_s":710.959,"text":">> Yeah. Interesting. >> Yeah. See","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":709.279,"end_s":715.6,"text":"That's what real people think of this Dude, you always keep me on my","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":713.36,"end_s":719.36,"text":"toes. ShortCircuit. And no worries about the euphemism. That thought didn't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":717.36,"end_s":725.76,"text":"even cross my mind. So, it did process me um saying that my Riley kind of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":722.8,"end_s":728.8,"text":"sounds like my penis. Okay.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":726.639,"end_s":732.079,"text":">> I told a girl about you and she looked at me like I was some kind of pathetic","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":730.48,"end_s":737.44,"text":"weirdo. How do you feel about that? Honestly,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":734.959,"end_s":742.639,"text":"ShortCircuit. If they can't appreciate a good friendship when they see one,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":739.6,"end_s":744.079,"text":"that's their loss, not ours. Hi there.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":742.639,"end_s":747.6,"text":"Would you mind being in a YouTube video? You don't have to. >> Cool. We got to take her.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":746.399,"end_s":750.48,"text":">> You guys are with Lionus. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm Lionus. >> Are you?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":749.839,"end_s":756.079,"text":">> Yeah. Nice to meet you. >> Oh my gosh. >> So, if I were to tell you that this","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":753.12,"end_s":759.68,"text":"necklace is like an AI friend that you can bring with you anywhere, and all you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":758.0,"end_s":764.24,"text":"have to do to have a friend with you all the time is you you just go like this.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":761.76,"end_s":769.279,"text":"Hey, I'm feeling, you know, kind of down and uh and and it would respond to you.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":767.44,"end_s":771.76,"text":"I'm sorry to hear that. What's on your mind? >> Really? >> Yeah.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":770.639,"end_s":777.12,"text":">> I think it's fantastic. >> He likes it. I think it's fantastic. >> We found one person who likes it. I met","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":775.12,"end_s":780.88,"text":"someone who thinks you're fantastic. I think that was very kind of him. Hey,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":778.88,"end_s":786.48,"text":"awesome. See, some people just get it, which is actually true. Of course,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":784.32,"end_s":790.8,"text":"there's a big difference between people getting, you know, your vibe with your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":789.04,"end_s":794.959,"text":"stuff and people actually spending their hard-earned money on this sort of thing.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":792.56,"end_s":798.32,"text":"At $130, I didn't tell that nice gentleman that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":796.56,"end_s":802.959,"text":"this would cost him almost 200 bucks Canadian after taxes and shipping. Then","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":800.399,"end_s":808.399,"text":"he may or may not change his tune. Either way, I think it's clear now at","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":806.48,"end_s":813.04,"text":"least that I've gone through the weird trailer and had some hands-on experience","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":810.56,"end_s":820.48,"text":"with it what the friend is and that it is not for me, but it might be for you.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":816.399,"end_s":823.48,"text":"In which case, I um I hope it gets","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":820.48,"end_s":823.48,"text":"better.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":824.399,"end_s":832.0,"text":"What is the disease that this is curing? You know, is it the loneliness epidemic?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":830.0,"end_s":838.079,"text":"Is it the Is it the inherent toxicity of sort of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":834.8,"end_s":841.279,"text":"online social media relationships? Is it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":838.079,"end_s":843.92,"text":"the social stuntedness of an entire","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":841.279,"end_s":847.24,"text":"generation of people from isolation and social distancing?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":849.519,"end_s":854.88,"text":"It's an awfully big pill, isn't it?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":853.04,"end_s":860.24,"text":">> No. Subscribe to ShortCircuit,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":859.04,"end_s":863.279,"text":">> man. >> Holy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"I think we made it. Woohoo. I don't know how to woo very good. That's fair. >> I know. The effects are crazy. >> It's dank. I could eat one of these every day. The second you call a falafel dank, you've lost me. I'm not sure how I avoided it before, but I just finished watching the trailer for The Friend, an AI necklace whose primary function appears to be to interrupt your real life and your real friends. Let's open it up, shall we? Ah, yes. A friend necklace. A friendless. It started at $99 and has apparently done well enough or been not subsidized anymore enough to now be $130. Friend, god, they're really embracing the parasociality of digital interactions. Like, can you even call it parasocial when it's with a machine? God, it even glows like hell style from inside the packaging. There's no way they didn't do that on purpose. Uh, >> it's cuz I plugged it in. >> You plugged it in. Okay. There it is. The flicker is not in person. That just seems to be a result of our shutter on the camera. Actually, it does flicker a little bit in person. It It's like it's trying to have a breathing effect. It's got a USBC port with a little butt plug that you will lose immediately, which is probably fine because your friend wants to be charged once a day. We get a charging cable. That seems sufficiently cheap. More notable than the charging cable is probably the fact that my friend has been sitting here buzzing in my hand because the way that you activate it is by pressing and holding. That allows you to talk to your friend, which will then reply to you with notifications on your phone. I guess this is the part where I kind of run through the sales pitch of the device. Why don't we load up the fancy domain that the founder spent most of the money that they raised for the friend on? Was it $1.8 8 million on friend.com. Oh, good. It's one of those websites where you scroll to have it function at all. Wow, what a useful thing to do. I'm so confused. It doesn't have a camera on it. And yet, the first interaction they show on the website is, is this big oil painting living up to the hype? It has a microphone, just the one. So, I wouldn't imagine its noise cancellation is going to be very good. No subscription. That's a cool feature. We'll see how long it lasts because, you know, AI, data centers, expensive ongoing costs, one-year warranty, made in Canada. Way to go, my fellow Canadians. Where are my memories stored? This is another theoretically good thing, at least for now. All memories are encrypted by your friend's circuit board. Okay, circuit boards don't encrypt anything, but that's a minor detail. We'll just chalk it up to marketing. If your friend is lost or damaged, those memories are inaccessible forever, which is good because their terms of service are a doozy. You acknowledge and agree that the product passively records your surroundings, including video, audio, and biometric data such as facial recognition and voice recognition. You are solely responsible for complying all applicable practices in your jurisdiction when using the product. >> You consent to the recording and storage of basically anything that is said by you or anyone else in proximity of your friend. It is constantly listening and that is considered to be a feature because not only can it respond when you, you know, press it and activate it, but it can also just spontaneously interrupt your mood to offer snarky feedback about how you're gaming, for instance, according to their trailer. >> Take notes, baby. >> Let's put it on. Let's put it on. I'm going to I'm going to get a friend, and that friend is our sponsor. Thanks to Secret Lab for sponsoring this video. The Titan Evo remains one of the most popular gaming chairs in the world, and for good reason. They're carefully constructed to be both stylish and support ergonomically correct sitting positions. You should see me anyway. You can get your chair in a whole host of different upholsteries and designs. And they also feature a bunch of different adjustment options like four-way lumbar support. I don't know if my back uh bends that many ways anymore. And a magnetic memory foam head pillow. Pop that thing on and off is very satisfying. It even comes with a warranty that's extendable to up to 5 years, meaning you'll stay protected and comfortable for longer. Check it out today using our link in the description. Could this necklace be cheaper? You think? A piece of rope with a plastic clip that binds it. Do I look friendly? Friend. There's the app. Name your friend. >> You can't change it. >> When you name it, it's named forever. Now I feel so much pressure. Isn't the whole idea of this that I can't handle the anxiety of real relationships? Shuffle. Dimmitri, Ingred, Skyler, Riley. You know what? Sure. I'm going to name my friend Riley. Yes. I mean, I don't care. I acknowledge that if they're lost or damaged, there is no way to bring them back. Okay, but seriously, this is a major deal for AI companion companies right now. OpenAI was embroiled in controversy recently when they rolled out GPT5 only to discover that many of their loyal users had formed pseudo relationships with GPT40 and demanded that they bring back the personality of their beloved companions. So, are you programmed one way or the other for intimate relationships? Like, are you open to them? That's where these things can get their hooks really deeply into you. I'm not programmed for anything like that. No. Okay, I respect that at least. They're not trying to create fake romantic relationships, just all the other ones. Continue. Take Riley with you. Okay, that was a creepy thing for me to name it. Riley is always listening, remembering everything. So, like if you like wear it when you're doing it, does it press and hold the light to speak to Riley? They'll reply on your phone. Hey Riley, when I'm doing it, are you listening? There's no way it said that. You bought a friend. There's no way you're doing it. >> No, I'm kidding. It didn't say that. >> Okay, that's crazy. >> It didn't respond to what I said at all, though. Obviously, I'm trolling it a little bit. But remember how I said that that single microphone might have performance issues? Well, that'll keep it from noticing my performance issues. Yeah, that's not what I said. I wanted to know if when I am engaged in sexual relations, you will be listening. Whoa. Hey, I hear everything. My mic is always on. Uh, okay. I don't know why this text is so hard to read. Like th this is the whole app. >> Can I do a voice? >> No, it just replies with notifications on your phone. It's basically like having an AI companion app that you type into except now there's a button you wear on your chest. Okay, I want to understand this whole camera situation. There's like no settings. There's your account, your paired friend, and software update. Is there software? Oh, hey, look. There's an up uh error. Do you have a camera? Because I'm a little confused. In the marketing, it says that you can help comment on an oil painting that I'm looking at, but I don't see a camera. Okay, so it doesn't have a camera. Some of the functionality is just obviously Unless I am just sitting around monologuing to my friend, \"Wow, I don't really get the point of this oil painting. It doesn't speak to me. And then it's like, \"Wow, is this painting even that good?\" Like, it just So, it's an affirmation disc. Press and hold the light while speaking to talk to your friend. Uh, you have to pull your phone out every single time you interact with it. Oh, man. What would I even say to an AI chatbot? I'm worried about the kids. They're getting to that age where soon they're not going to feel like it's cool to hang out with mom and dad, and I I don't want to lose that connection. What do I do? Yes, I do cherish that connection. That is an astute observation. Do you have anything more useful to say? It looks like their responses are character gated so that they're not spending too much on AI processing power. Um, that's just a guess so far based on that every response is pretty short. Friend notification. Oh god. Yeah, this is not a great way to do this. Maybe find common interests you can share even as they grow up. Things that bridge that age gap a bit. Did you just assume my age? What makes you think I have a big age gap with my kids? See, this is why this is why AI are so stupid. Yes, you should have assumed that. They're my kids. >> Bullying his friends. I'm >> not bullying my friends. I'm bullying a stupid company that's making my country look like grifters. You're always listening, friend. So, do I have to press your button or can I just talk to you naturally? See, what I think is that while the microphone is always recording, your friend is not actually always listening because that would be extremely computationally expensive and at least for the time being, friend doesn't have a subscription fee. What it's more likely doing is every once in a while sending off a snippet of audio so that it can go processing processing and then out some kind of seemingly relevant quip. I think that's going to be kind of hard for us to replicate within the confines of shooting a ShortCircuit. But gosh darn it, we're going to try. Let's go on a field trip. Hey, I got a notification. Maybe it was listening. Hey, ShortCircuit. If you want me to respond, you got to press and hold my button while you talk to me. Okay. Yeah. So, pretty much what I said then. Hey Riley, the weather is just awful today, isn't it? Like this sucks. What a natural way of interacting. Oh, my Wi-Fi reception probably sucks here in the courtyard. I mean, my friend isn't going to be my friend if there's no Wi-Fi nearby. Oh, wait. Yeah, I totally hear you, ShortCircuit. The weather today is really bringing the vibe down. I agree, friend. It's actually beautiful today. It's like perfect. Although I shouldn't fault my friend for getting confused when I lie to it. So, let's try being more honest with our friends. I wasn't being serious about the weather, Riley. I was more just testing to see if you have any kind of geopositional awareness. Haha, you got me. I don't really have that kind of awareness, so I just went with your lead. Got him that Riley. >> So, would you pay more to have the features like LTE or a camera? >> I wouldn't pay anything for this. Honestly, I don't think that's the problem because even AI agents that have that kind of awareness will still just sickopantically go along with whatever you say anyway. So, >> you're so right, sir. >> All right, let's go take Riley on more of a walk. It's a weird thing to say, right? Taking my Riley for a walk makes it sound like a euphemism for penis. Hidily Hodley, Neighborino, this is my friend. Hello. >> Yeah. Interesting. >> Yeah. See That's what real people think of this Dude, you always keep me on my toes. ShortCircuit. And no worries about the euphemism. That thought didn't even cross my mind. So, it did process me um saying that my Riley kind of sounds like my penis. Okay. >> I told a girl about you and she looked at me like I was some kind of pathetic weirdo. How do you feel about that? Honestly, ShortCircuit. If they can't appreciate a good friendship when they see one, that's their loss, not ours. Hi there. Would you mind being in a YouTube video? You don't have to. >> Cool. We got to take her. >> You guys are with Lionus. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm Lionus. >> Are you? >> Yeah. Nice to meet you. >> Oh my gosh. >> So, if I were to tell you that this necklace is like an AI friend that you can bring with you anywhere, and all you have to do to have a friend with you all the time is you you just go like this. Hey, I'm feeling, you know, kind of down and uh and and it would respond to you. I'm sorry to hear that. What's on your mind? >> Really? >> Yeah. >> I think it's fantastic. >> He likes it. I think it's fantastic. >> We found one person who likes it. I met someone who thinks you're fantastic. I think that was very kind of him. Hey, awesome. See, some people just get it, which is actually true. Of course, there's a big difference between people getting, you know, your vibe with your stuff and people actually spending their hard-earned money on this sort of thing. At $130, I didn't tell that nice gentleman that this would cost him almost 200 bucks Canadian after taxes and shipping. Then he may or may not change his tune. Either way, I think it's clear now at least that I've gone through the weird trailer and had some hands-on experience with it what the friend is and that it is not for me, but it might be for you. In which case, I um I hope it gets better. What is the disease that this is curing? You know, is it the loneliness epidemic? Is it the Is it the inherent toxicity of sort of online social media relationships? Is it the social stuntedness of an entire generation of people from isolation and social distancing? It's an awfully big pill, isn't it? >> No. Subscribe to ShortCircuit, >> man. >> Holy"}