Wearable Chatbots: Considering the Future of Conversational AI

AI has become critical in the customer contact space, with smarter, more innovative technology being developed every year. While we have an abundance of data on customers’ experiences interfacing with AI technology in contact centers, consumer products driven by generative AI have yet to gain traction in major markets. Further, recent news of AI being used for nefarious purposes and the responding legislation have corroded the public opinion of AI, even among its former proponents. 

Friend Launches as the First Wearable Chatbot

The latest consumer tech product to ignite online discourse about the capabilities of AI launched on International Friendship Day, July 30th. The pendant device, called “Friend,” supposedly provides companionship by listening to its user's voice and environment, and then responding with empathy. Like other smart wearables before it, Friend’s inception was met with a barrage of speculation spanning the spectrum of confidence we have come to expect for AI-driven products.

Leveraging Tech to Combat Loneliness

Throughout society today, many different measures point towards a growing sense of disconnect and a lack of community. We are now living in an era in which loneliness is considered a serious public health crisis. Therefore, we should not be discounting any potential providers of social comfort and companionship, especially if they can be produced and distributed en masse. If conversational AI and chatbots have some positive emotional impact on the customer, the “artificial” nature of the product doesn’t invalidate the value it may provide.

"Friend is a wearable Al friend designed to be a close confidant for everyday life.”

An Ambiguous Offering

Friend founder Avi Schiffman touted evidence that being wished “good luck” before a job interview (albeit by a text message push notification) has tangibly better outcomes compared to a self-set reminder notification about the same interview. Despite the well-meaning premise of the product and its potential value, we are now living in a post-Theranos society. Overly simple, “too good to be true” solutions are met with more skepticism than delight. Friend’s website is aesthetically pleasing and sentimental, but there is very little information about how the product works. Given what we know about customers who are struggling to adapt to customer service chatbots, they may be even less comfortable engaging with social AI technology mimicking a friend.

Personal Data Protection Remains Top of Mind

Friend has yet to publish substantive information about how the product works, much less how customer data will be protected. Across all verticals, only 52% of customers trust companies to manage their data properly. Tech-savvy folks who were quick to adopt complex technology like Apple Watch and Google Glass may be reluctant to integrate a smart, always listening wearable into their lives without the assurance of a colossal brand backing. Perhaps it is Apple’s veritable cybersecurity that allows customers to feel comfortable sharing their intimately personal data like location and biometrics.

Building Customer Trust in AI

When making decisions about AI and determining how it can best serve customers, it is critical to listen to those who remain skeptical about new and complicated technology. In our June 2024 market study, we found that the greatest customer pain point is inability to reach a live agent. This insight, coupled with the 55% of customers who believe customer experiences have gotten worse, paints a picture of AI integrations that cause more frustration than improved outcomes. With the powerful AI advancements augmenting so many of the traditional CX processes, contact center leaders should always be seeking out ways to simplify customer experiences wherever they can.

Friend is set to ship pre-orders in Q1 2025. In order to build a trusting, enthusiastic customer base, it is imperative that Friend take concerns about privacy seriously and publish more explicit language detailing how personal data will be used, stored, and protected. The founding team can take their transparency a step further by acknowledging the disillusionment with the cliche of powerful, mysterious technology and offer a better explanation of how their product will serve customers.

Learn more about AI in CX at our upcoming seminar series “Modernizing Service Experiences With AI & Digital” and receive the free certificate: AI-Powered Contact Center Leader.

Image by Tara Winstead on Pexels.