Brian Ler on WNYC.

So have you seen this friend ad in the subways?

Apparently there's more than 10,000 of these grayscale posters plastered throughout the subway system, showcasing a new

wearable AI product that aims to be your next companion. The ads, if you haven't seen

them, feature promises like, I'll binge the entire series with you, and I'll never bail on our

dinner plans, along with a simple definition,

someone who listens, responds, and supports you.

But some New Yorkers had their own messages to share on these ads.

Maybe you've seen this too, from the people who pulled out their Sharpies to share their messages.

One defaced poster reads, stop profiting off loneliness.

While another warns, AI wouldn't care if you lived or died. The latter references a few notable

cases of suicides prompted by chat box pots that you may be familiar with, not associated with

the product advertised, but in that realm.

Well, WNYC and Gothamist's arts and culture reporter, Ryan Kaloff, took to West Fourth Street,

the subway station there the other day to chat with Avi Schiffman,

the 22-year-old founder behind Friend, and New Yorkers, as they passed through a corridor full of these ads.

And he joins us now to share what he learned.

Hey, Ryan.

Hey, Brian.

And listeners, we can take a few phone calls on this too.

First of all, has anyone tried this?

Does anybody have this product and want to review it? Or have you seen the subway

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