San Francisco-based startup, Based Hardware, has announced the launch of Omi, a revolutionary AI-powered wearable device designed to boost productivity, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The innovative device can be worn as a necklace, and its AI assistant can be activated by simply saying "Hey Omi."

Omi's founder, Nik Shevchenko, initially marketed the device on Kickstarter as "Friend," but later changed the name after another San Francisco hardware maker launched a similar device and acquired the domain name for $1.8 million. Shevchenko, a Thiel fellow known for his attention-grabbing stunts, is taking a distinct approach with Omi, positioning it as a complementary device to smartphones that enhances productivity.

In recent years, the tech industry has witnessed an explosion of devices leveraging AI as their primary interface. Notable examples include Rabbit, Humane, Friend, and the Ray-Ban Metas, which aimed to redefine the consumer hardware landscape. However, none of these AI devices have fully lived up to their initial hype. Shevchenko's Omi is poised to change this narrative.

The Omi device itself is a small, round orb reminiscent of a Mentos candy. The consumer version is priced at $89 and is set to start shipping in Q2 of 2025. A developer version is available for immediate delivery at roughly $70. Based Hardware claims that Omi can answer questions, summarize conversations, create to-do lists, and assist with meeting scheduling. The device constantly listens and processes conversations through GPT-4o, allowing it to remember context about each user and offer personalized advice.

In an interview with TechCrunch, Shevchenko acknowledged potential privacy concerns surrounding a device that's always listening. To address this, he built Omi on an open-source platform, enabling users to track their data or opt for local storage. This open-source approach also allows developers to create their own applications or integrate their preferred AI models. Shevchenko revealed that developers have already created over 250 apps on Omi's app store.

Based Hardware has secured approximately $700,000 in funding, with $150,000 allocated to promotional videos shot in Los Angeles. Shevchenko, who helped direct the videos himself, is confident in his marketing strategy. The startup is currently in talks to raise additional capital following the launch. Shevchenko emphasized that the user base is the core driver of the product, and the more people who know about Omi, the better the product becomes due to its open-source foundation.

While it remains unclear whether Omi's "brain interface" feature actually works, the startup is initially targeting a relatively simple use case. Shevchenko aims to enable the device to distinguish between user conversations and those with Omi without relying on wake words. In a demo shared with TechCrunch, Shevchenko demonstrated the brain interface by closing his eyes, focusing on the device attached to the side of his head, and asking "Can you tell me about TechCrunch?" without using any wake words. The device responded by summarizing TechCrunch and explaining its relevance to Shevchenko's upcoming launch.

Notably, when Avi Schiffman launched Friend last summer, Shevchenko released a diss track on X claiming his device was "the original Friend." Shevchenko now maintains that Omi is a distinct product from Friend, although he admits that there's an app on Omi's app store that replicates Friend's functionality.

As the wearable technology landscape continues to evolve, Based Hardware's Omi is poised to make a significant impact. With its innovative approach, open-source platform, and focus on productivity, Omi may finally deliver on the promise of AI-powered wearables.