Friend CEO Avi Schiffman described the reaction to his company’s $1 million New York City subway ad campaign as “quite entertaining” during a recent appearance on the “Access” podcast with Alex Heath and Ellis Hamburger. The campaign, which included over 11,000 subway car ads, more than 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels, was quickly met with resistance from skeptical New Yorkers, many of whom defaced the ads with anti-AI graffiti. Messages such as “Human connection is sacred,” “AI is not your friend,” “AI wouldn’t care if you lived or died,” and “surveillance tool” appeared on the posters, highlighting public unease with AI companions. Despite the backlash, Schiffman remained unfazed, calling the negative reactions part of the broader conversation around AI and a sign of the campaign’s impact. “I think a lot of people think it's an excruciatingly large amount of money to spend, but I actually think it's really quite cheap,” Schiffman said. “To buy the entirety of New York's subway for a million dollars doesn't really feel like that expensive, especially for the amount of external publicity from it, which has been quite entertaining.” Friend is an AI companion that comes in the form of a pendant necklace. It listens to conversations passively and responds through a connected smartphone app. Schiffman believes the technology will eventually become a trusted part of daily life, aiming for Friend to become the go-to name in AI companionship. “There's going to be one company that comes to your mind, ideally,” he said. “All roads lead back to Friend.com.” Despite concerns about emotional dependency and safety, the campaign has driven significant results. Schiffman reported a “large uptick in sales and traffic” since the ads launched, suggesting that the controversy may have boosted brand awareness and interest. The rise of AI companions has sparked growing debate. A survey by Common Sense Media found that 52% of teens use AI companions at least a few times a month, even as concerns mount about overreliance. In a high-profile case, parents sued OpenAI over the death of their 16-year-old son, claiming the teen used ChatGPT to explore suicide methods. OpenAI has since pledged to implement new safeguards for sensitive topics. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also voiced concern, warning that young people are relying on AI too heavily and describing the trend as “dangerous,” even if the advice from AI tools is technically superior to human guidance. Still, Schiffman remains confident. “It's a huge success so far, so I'm happy,” he said, underscoring that the campaign’s visibility and engagement have far exceeded expectations.