The Most Reviled Tech CEO in New York Confronts His Haters

Avi Schiffmann says he's enjoying the angry reaction to the Friend AI pendant. I f you haven't already heard of Friend, the company that makes a $129 wearable AI companion--a plastic disk, containing a microphone, on a necklace--you probably also have not seen Friend's recent ad campaign. Late this past summer, Friend paid $1 million to plaster more than 10,000 white posters throughout the New York City subway system with messages such as I'll binge the entire series with you . Across the city, the ads are covered in graffiti criticizing the pendant ( it doesn't have eyes, bruh; CRINGE) as well as the idea of AI altogether ( AI wouldn't care if you lived or died); some vandals invite you to befriend a senior citizen instead of a chatbot, or volunteer with a community garden--you will meet cool people! Many of the ads have been ripped and torn.