If you live in NYC, there’s almost no way you’ve forgotten it Mitra AI Pendant Subway Advertisement Result — Have you taken photos of the most inspired graffiti on advertisements in tunnels, tried to avert your eyes from the almost constant presence of the device featured on all the advertisements inside subway cars, or had a friend text you, “What’s that thing?”
Although Friend was founded in 2023, the $129 chatbot-enabled necklace only began shipping this summer, along with a subway ad campaign — which set the company back quite a bit. $1 millionAlmost the same as its domain name – launched last month. Reviews paint a picture of a device that can make people uncomfortable and often doesn’t do a good job at what it’s supposed to do (i.e., listen in and nip in the door and respond to your conversations and the events of your day).
The same weekend that No Kings protests took place around the world, a Friends protest also took place. it was organized A coalition of people who say they are interested in drawing attention to the harms of over-reliance on digital technology – from social media and smartphones to emerging technology like AI – and choosing to make personal connections instead.
Nick Plante, one of the organizers, who recently “remove dayaction, told The VergeHe said it was “part of a growing network of public events across the city that are bringing people together.”
Friends Founder Avi Shiffman Posted An image of a taped-up flyer depicting the device, which read, “I hear New Yorkers have beef with me. Let’s erase this once and for all, before we go bankrupt.” The flyer also provided the time and place to meet, as well as a handwritten message to “bring your markers.”
Shiffman’s post shows people using Sharpies to deface friend banners, with one person writing “Fuck AI”, a chalk drawing of a friend device with a sad face, and people playing basketball while holding a homemade cutout of the friend device.
Shiffman said The Verge While he had no role in planning the event, he also said that he took a red-eye flight to get there because people had sent him photos of the ads. organizers told The Verge That they had sent him an invitation, although they did not know whether he received it or not, and that he had brought with him some of his contacts as well as a film crew.
He wrote, “During the show I stood on a soapbox talking to the crowd and later that night found them in the park and we were all sitting in a big circle and talking. They were all very serious.” “I found it to be a fruitful conversation and at the end we all shook hands.”
Shiffman also posted picture In which he appears to have signed a handwritten document stating that he “will not sell friend.com” to a Big Tech CEO for “surveillance purposes.”
one more Video The thread shows people holding a paper cutout of the device and tearing it apart as the crowd chants, “Get real friends.” After the free rein to tear it down was over, people shouted, “Get that shit out of here,” and “Fuck you, AI.”
In short: New Yorkers don’t take kindly to overzealous subway ads — especially if they see AI as a passable replacement for “friends.” And for Friend’s CEO, it’s still better than paying no attention to them at all.
UPDATE: This article was updated after protest organizers reached out to provide additional details on the event.
