If you’ve been in New York lately, you’ve probably seen it — that eerie subway ad with the little metal pendant promising to “be your friend.”
It’s called the Friend AI pendant, and if you frequent the subways, you couldn’t miss it. The posters are plastered everywhere — on the walls, in the trains, across the MTA — like they’re watching you, not the other way around.
And yup, some people snapped pics of the graffiti versions (“Go touch grass” written over one), while others just sighed and scrolled. Either way, the city collectively decided: the thing is creepy.
So, what is Friend AI, exactly?
It’s a $129 pendant marketed as an “AI companion” that listens to the happenings of your day — your convos, random muttering, existential thoughts — and chats back with “helpful,” “insightful” comments.
Basically, it’s like wearing ChatGPT around your neck — except it’s weirder, less accurate, and, according to early users, not that great at being a friend.
But here’s the gist: while Big Tech keeps telling us AI will “make us more connected” and “redefine companionship,” New Yorkers are responding with something closer to a collective eye-roll.
So yeah... the ads didn’t exactly hit the emotional note the company was hoping for.
To remedy that, Friend’s founder Avi Schiffmann posted a flyer online inviting New Yorkers to talk about the backlash that followed the campaign.
And guess what? They showed up — in true New York fashion, ready to roast.
Videos show attendees doodling over a giant Friend banner — graffitiing “F** AI”* and sketching sad little faces on the pendant. A few folks even shot hoops while holding cardboard cutouts of the device. It was part protest, part performance art.
Now, Schiffmann swears he didn’t organize the whole thing, but he did hop on a literal soapbox to chat with the crowd. According to him, it turned into a long conversation circle where everyone vented, argued, and — weirdly enough — shook hands at the end.
By the time it was over, the crowd chanted “Get real friends!” while tearing apart a paper Friend pendant.
So again, the chat didn’t go that well in the end. But get this — Schiffmann actually signed a paper pledge not to sell the company to Big Tech “for surveillance purposes.”
The Takeaway:
New Yorkers may tolerate rats, rent hikes, and delayed trains — but they draw the line at wearable AIs trying to replace human connection.
And beyond the chaos and drama, this whole saga isn’t just about one company. It’s a snapshot of how people really feel about AI right now.
Because maybe the real story isn’t what AI can say to us… it’s what we’re saying back.
And if New York’s any indicator, the message is loud and clear: people don’t seem to need smarter machines — they prefer better human friends.
Still, for Friend’s founder, that outrage might just be the best marketing yet. Because in New York, even your haters give you clout.
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