October 7, 2025
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26 min 37 sec
NYC Sends AI Packing
All over the New York City subway, ads for the AI wearable “Friend” are being defaced. It seems clear that New Yorkers don’t want what Silicon Valley is selling—but will the general consumer bite? On this week’s Aboard Podcast, Paul and Rich assess the tensions between big tech and the public, in New York and beyond. After decades of having our data be packaged and sold, will anyone want to wear a necklace that listens to them 24/7? Plus: Paul describes what his skincare routine would be like if he were a billionaire.
Show Notes
- https://friend.com/, or you can watch the trailer, which is supposedly a positive ad for the product and not a teaser for the new episode Black Mirror….
- There have been a lot of less-than-stellar product reviews, but above all we recommend this recent piece from two WIRED reporters who tried the device, “I Hate My Friend.”
- “Tech Billboards Are All Over San Francisco. Can You Decode Them?”
Transcript
Transcript coming soon!