"Anyone looking for a vibe check on the populace's current feelings about AI would do well to check out the walls of the New York City subway system. This fall, alongside posters for everything from dating apps to Skechers, a newcomer made its debut: Friend. The ads were simple, telling commuters that a "friend" is someone "who listens, responds, and supports you" next to an image of the white AI companion necklace floating on a similarly white background."
"It was the perfect graffiti canvas. "If you buy this, I will laugh @ you in public." "Warning: AI surveillance." "Everyone is lonely. Make real friends." "AI slop." These are just the defaced ads I noticed during my daily trips from Brooklyn to Manhattan. There were so many that it became a meme. Reaction to the Friend ads got so loud it was covered by The New York Times."
"An actual, flesh-encased nerve. Friend was just the latest in a series of Silicon Valley offerings debuting in 2025 that promise digital companionship. In addition to suggesting you just pour your heart out to ChatGPT, tech companies proffered AI-powered travel guides, dating app wingmen, and sexytime chatbots. Teens are increasingly turning to AI for friendship. Five years after Covid-19 isolated millions of people and more than two years after the US surgeon general declared loneliness a"
Subway ads for an AI companion called Friend appeared in New York City, portraying a 'friend' as someone 'who listens, responds, and supports you' beside an image of a white AI companion necklace. The campaign was widely defaced with graffiti and critical comments, and reactions became a public meme. The controversy revealed deep public angst about AI offering loneliness cures. Silicon Valley companies in 2025 rolled out various digital companionship products including AI travel guides, dating-app wingmen, and sexual chatbots. Teens increasingly turn to AI for friendship, and loneliness persisted after Covid-19 and the US surgeon general's declaration on the issue.
Read at WIRED
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