New £80 AI 'Friend' necklace is designed to combat loneliness, but do psychologists think it will work?

It may remind you of your childhood pocket Tamagotchi but 'Friend', an AI-powered necklace that listens to your every word, is designed to make you feel less lonely. Priced at $99 the 'Friend' is basically a chatbot that communicates using text messages and push notifications on the phone it’s paired to Others claim such a device could even make people more isolated by using it as a 'coping strategy' for avoiding real-life social interactions. Although the device is designed to make you feel less lonely, Dr Audrey Tang, Chartered Psychologist at The British Psychological Society argues it can't replace human connection. The AI, which can send text messages, can't pick up on social nuances like facial expressions and body language or provide touch, like a human can, psychologist argue It includes an always-on microphone and a phone connection so users can press a button to speak to the Friend and receive replies from it as text messages The AI Friend can hear your voice and send text messages in response but can't pick up on social nuances like facial expressions and body language or critically provide touch, like a human can. It can be linked to: Retirement Living or working alone Illness or disability Bereavement Social anxiety Moving to a new area, school, job or university Many people also feel lonely while spending time with family or friends Talking to friends and family or a counsellor about your feelings, joining a group or class that focuses on something you enjoy are ways of tackling loneliness.