""I know people in New York hate AI, and things like AI companionship and wearables, probably more than anywhere else in the country," he told Adweek. "So I bought more ads than anyone has ever done with a lot of white space so that they would socially comment on the topic." And he got exactly that. Messages scrawled across the ads read "stop profiting off of loneliness," "AI wouldn't care if you lived or died," "go make real friends," "this is surveillance," and "AI will promote suicide when prompted.""
"New York City's expansive subway system is currently plastered with advertisements for an AI startup called Friend, which has spentmore than a million dollars on over 11,000 subway cars ads, 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels. Judging by the response, the campaign is earning the company very few friends amongNew Yorkers. Subway riders have been vandalizing and peeling the ads down since the campaign started last week."
A startup named Friend ran an expansive, costly subway ad campaign across New York, placing over 11,000 car ads, 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels. Subway riders vandalized and peeled many ads within days. The CEO, Avi Schiffmann, intentionally bought overwhelming ad space and white space to provoke social commentary. Critics and riders scrawled messages condemning profiteering from loneliness and warning about surveillance and harm. Friend's flagship product is a $129 wearable that listens to users, raising privacy concerns. The privacy policy permits use of data for research and legal compliance, and the product has faced critical reviews.
Read at Futurism
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