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sabreW4K3 ( sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al )  to Technology · 2 years ago

AI ‘Friend’ Company Spent $1.8 Million and Most of Its Funds on Domain Name

www.404media.co

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AI ‘Friend’ Company Spent $1.8 Million and Most of Its Funds on Domain Name

www.404media.co

sabreW4K3 ( sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al )  to Technology · 2 years ago
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AI companion Friend appears to have spent most of its funds on buying friend.com.
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  • dormedas ( dormedas@lemmy.dormedas.com ) 
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    2 years ago

    The article is even more wack than the price for the domain. They want to launch a $99 necklace that listens to everything you say while it “forms its own thoughts” about it. Then instead of talking to you, it just texts you when IT “wants” (read: on a timer or based on a system prompt)

    The monetization is a one-time $99, no subscription. That’s … suspicious from a privacy perspective.

  • Avid Amoeba ( avidamoeba@lemmy.ca ) 
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    2 years ago

    Dot-com vibes.

  • Retiring ( Retiring@lemmy.ml ) 
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    2 years ago

    Archive link against the pay/subscription wall

    • sabreW4K3 ( sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al ) OP
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      2 years ago

      Thank you. I run BPC and forget that not everyone does.

  • Thorry84 ( Thorry84@feddit.nl ) 
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    2 years ago

    Please note the title is misleading. The domain was sold for 1.8 million, but with a payment plan. So that 1.8 million gets spread out of a longer time. Sure some of the initial funding paid for it, but it’s misleading to say it spent most of their funds.

  • jonsnothere ( jonsnothere@beehaw.org ) 
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    2 years ago

    That honestly seems pretty low for friend.com

    Although the fact they’re developing hardware on less than a million dollar budget is bananas, let alone the other whack ideas

    • Guy Ingonito ( kandoh@reddthat.com ) 
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      I remember when the place I worked at changed names and some Russian guy was sitting on the domain name, wouldn’t let it go for less than a million.

      The CEO signed off on it after a day of consideration. Really changed my perspective on how much money these companies were sitting on.

  • Justin ( jlh@lemmy.jlh.name ) 
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    2 years ago

    It’s a bubble

  • smeg ( smeg@feddit.uk ) 
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    2 years ago

    “People just don’t get consumer, I view this as saving money. Much less money needs to be spent on marketing, it’s a one time thing,” Schiffmann said.

    The fact that we’re now reading this article and talking about it kind of proves his point!

    • MagicShel ( MagicShel@programming.dev ) 
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      2 years ago

      Speak for yourself; I’m not going to read the article and just assume it’s silly garbage based on comments and having seen a few garbage products in my day.

  • Kit ( Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) 
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    2 years ago

    Friend.com for those who don’t want to read the article

    • massive_bereavement ( massive_bereavement@fedia.io ) 
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      2 years ago

      They should have called it Friend Computer instead.

      • Guy Ingonito ( kandoh@reddthat.com ) 
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        2 years ago

        Or just use AI or IO instead of com

      • Malgas ( Malgas@beehaw.org ) 
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        2 years ago

        Indeed, friend citizen. Would you like some Bouncy Bubble Beverage?

  • TehPers ( TehPers@beehaw.org ) 
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    2 years ago

    Looks like the article requires an account. Is there an archived version?

    • hand ( hand@lemmy.studio ) 
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      2 years ago

      https://archive.is/10b0i

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