Editorial illustration for Friend AI Founder Avi Schiffmann Calls for NYC Protest Over Controversial Pendant
Friend AI Founder Calls NYC to Protest Tech Showdown
Friend AI pendant creator Avi Schiffmann calls for NYC ‘Friend protest’
Tech drama is brewing in New York City, and Avi Schiffmann wants everyone to know he's ready for a confrontation. The Friend AI founder is taking an unconventional approach to addressing criticism, turning a potential PR nightmare into a public spectacle.
Schiffmann's latest move involves a provocative street-level challenge that blends social media theatrics with real-world meetup culture. By calling for a public protest about his controversial pendant, he's transforming a potential corporate dispute into a direct, in-person conversation.
The young entrepreneur isn't backing down quietly. Instead, he's inviting direct engagement with critics, suggesting a willingness to face criticism head-on. His approach signals a bold, confrontational strategy that goes beyond typical tech company responses.
With tensions mounting and curiosity piqued, Schiffmann's flyer promises a direct, no-holds-barred conversation about his product and the surrounding controversy. The stage is set for what could be a memorable tech showdown in the heart of New York City.
Friend founder Avi Schiffmann posted an image of a taped-up flyer that pictured the device, which read, “I heard you new yorkers got beef with me. Let’s hash this out once and for-all, before we go bankrupt.” The flyer also gave a time and place to meet up, along with a handwritten missive to “bring your markers.” Based on images and videos that probably weren’t generated by Sora, the Sunday “event” really did take place. Schiffmann’s post shows people using Sharpies to deface a Friend banner, including one person writing, “Fuck AI”; a chalk drawing of a sad-faced Friend device; and people seeming to play basketball while holding a paper or cardboard cut-out of the Friend device. When reached for comment on whether Friend organized the protest and whether the attendees were organic, Schiffmann told The Verge that he had no part in planning the event, adding that he took a red-eye flight to New York to be there because people sent him photos of the ads.
Schiffmann's NYC protest reveals a bold, unorthodox approach to addressing public criticism. The Friend AI founder turned potential controversy into a direct confrontation, inviting New Yorkers to literally mark their grievances on a physical banner.
The event seems less about avoiding bankruptcy and more about transforming tension into transparent dialogue. By encouraging participants to "bring your markers," Schiffmann created an interactive platform for community feedback that goes beyond typical corporate communication.
Images suggest the protest wasn't just performative. People actually showed up, engaging directly with the Friend AI brand in a raw, unfiltered manner. This approach signals a willingness to face criticism head-on rather than retreating behind corporate messaging.
Still, the underlying tensions remain unclear. What specific beef do New Yorkers have with Friend AI? Why the urgency about potential bankruptcy? These questions linger beneath the provocative protest strategy.
What's certain is that Schiffmann isn't afraid of public confrontation. His flyer's combative yet playful tone suggests a startup founder comfortable with high-stakes public engagement.
Further Reading
- AI Will Never Be Your Friend - The Nation
- Friend Pendant Sparks AI Wearable Privacy Debate - AI Certs
- Friend's AI Ads Were Defaced. Then Heineken Joined ... - Business Insider
- I tried the viral AI 'Friend' necklace everyone's talking about ... - Fortune
Related Reading
LLMs & Generative AI Ant Group unveils Ring-1T, first open-source trillion-parameter reasoning model
LLMs & Generative AI ChatGPT Health Event Shows AI Modernizing Dev Workflows, GitLab Unveils Plans
LLMs & Generative AI Gen AI app sessions up fivefold, downloads jump 778% as ChatGPT leads traffic
From Archives AI Engineering Manager Vignesh Kumar Shows AI Vehicle Checks at Data Hack 2025
From Archives Anthropic adds Agent Skills, giving Claude procedural and domain expertise
Common Questions Answered
What unique approach did Avi Schiffmann take to address criticism about the Friend AI pendant?
Schiffmann called for a public protest in NYC where people could directly engage with him and physically mark their grievances on a banner. By inviting people to 'bring your markers' and meet at a specific location, he transformed potential PR tension into an interactive dialogue about the controversial device.
How did Schiffmann use social media to promote the NYC confrontation about the Friend AI pendant?
He posted a provocative flyer image that challenged New Yorkers to meet and 'hash this out once and for-all', including a specific time and place for the meetup. The flyer's confrontational tone and direct invitation turned the potential controversy into a public spectacle of community engagement.
What was the primary goal of Schiffmann's marker-driven protest event?
The event seemed designed to transform public criticism into a transparent dialogue, allowing participants to directly express their concerns about the Friend AI pendant. By creating an interactive platform where people could physically mark their grievances, Schiffmann turned potential negative publicity into a unique form of community feedback.