Subway Ads Spark Backlash: Commuters Reject AI Necklace's 'Friend' Tagline
Subway ads for a wearable AI necklace have sparked a wave of user-generated responses, with commuters defacing the posters and expressing concerns about the device's impact on social connection.
The ads, designed with ample white space, encouraged viewers to comment with graffiti. Thousands of cryptic white posters bearing the word 'Friend' have appeared in subway stations and trains across the city. Commuters have written messages such as 'SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM', 'GET REAL FRIENDS', 'Go make real friends', and 'AI wouldn't care if you lived or died'.
The AI necklace, developed by 22-year-old entrepreneur Avi Schiffmann, listens to interactions and offers advice or observations. However, commuters have raised concerns that the device is replacing real human connection and driving individualism.
The AI necklace ads have sparked a conversation among commuters about the role of technology in social interaction. While the device aims to provide assistance, it has also led to public expressions of concern about the potential loss of genuine human connection.
