‘Friend’ is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered necklace designed to be a portable companion, created by Avi Schiffmann of Seattle. The necklace was initially designed to transcribe meetings; however, it has since been redesigned and rebranded as a tool to address loneliness and isolation.
With the touch of a button, the wearer can speak to the device and receive a text response. The product also proactively sends well-wishing messages regarding scheduled events, such as birthdays and job interviews.
Schiffman told Adweek that the company spent more than $USD1 million on a campaign featuring more than 11,000 cards on subway cars, 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels. Some stations, such as West 4th Street, are described as ‘dominated’ by advertising for the product.
Vandals have since taken to defacing the advertising with markers, writing messages such as “AI wouldn’t care if you lived or died” and “Go make real friends, this is surveillance.”
In an interview with Fortune, Schiffmann described the backlash and graffiti as ‘artistically validating’.
“The audience completes the work. Capitalism is the greatest artistic medium,” he explained.
Social media response to the product and the marketing campaign remains mixed, with some suggesting that it is a creative way of addressing mental health issues, while others view the product as exploitative and invasive.
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