While AI has been a huge boon for corporations, many feel like it has done more good than harm to the public. An excellent example of the outcry against AI would be the vandalism and graffiti sprayed all over the advertisements of the chatbot Friend in New York City. The company allegedly spent over a million dollars on its campaign to advertise in the city’s metro area. Unfortunately, it’s clear that many do not feel like the chatbot is their “friend.”
While the Friend AI promotes itself as a companion who “listens, responds, and supports” its user, the New Yorkers who vandalized the printed ads accused it of secret surveillance. Others wrote that it doesn’t care if you are dead or alive and would even encourage suicide if prompted. Many users on Reddit agree that AI can be a dangerous tool if used as a replacement for actual human friends. One commented, saying how depressing this is. “At a time where we need to connect more than ever, we are being pushed technology that will push us farther away.”
Another agreed with a response, pointing out how multiple people who used ChatGPT as their romantic partner or therapist were deeply disappointed when the model updated and their “friend” was gone. “We are literally living in a Black Mirror episode,” exclaimed a user. Numerous others expressed how “dystopian” it is that we’ve reached the point of being advertised AI as friends.
Although these vandalized advertisements did poorly in public, many also argue that the outrage against Friend has actually boosted its notoriety on the internet. “Never heard of their company before now, and now it’s the front page of reddit. Seems like the million$ + was worth it for them. Getting lots of extra eyes on it,” remarked a commenter. “Yes. This post is an ad,” chimed in another.
And ironically, these Redditors aren’t wrong; the vandalism of Friend has now spread across social media sites and to news outlets, including this very post. In other words, what was initially a million-dollar campaign to metro users in New York City has turned into viral marketing with possibly an internet audience of hundreds of thousands. Depressing or not, Friend AI deserves a ‘slow clap.’
