Within some tech circles not so long ago, there was excitement around the concept of a wearable AI “companion”; essentially, a chatbot built into a compact piece of hardware, which users would carry around with them on their person. The idea was marketed as a mix between an ever-present conversation partner, a personalized note-taker, and, most memorably—or cringe-ily, depending on your views—an artificial “Friend.” Anyone who rode a New York City subway i