The guy behind those ‘Friend’ ads in the subways is tired of talking to New Yorkers

Subway riders are finding themselves face-to-face with thousands of cryptic white posters bearing the word “Friend.”

Some ads define “Friend”: “Someone who listens, responds, and supports you.” Others imply frictionless companionship: “I’ll never leave dirty dishes in the sink.”

The ads, which have taken over entire stations and trains across the city, are for a wearable AI necklace that listens to all your interactions; it’s meant to offer advice or observations. As fast as the posters have gone up, they’ve been defaced. One online gallery documents more than 90 ads with what you might call user-generated contributions (the cops would call it vandalism), with messages like “SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM” or “GET REAL FRIENDS.”

“It’s giving ‘We’re replacing real human connection with AI,’”