who gave you this number

"Friend" is an AI wearable device designed to provide "companionship + emotional support"— i.e replace human friendships. Its literally an AI chatbot that you wear around your neck. "Friend" just paid for the largest ad campaign in NYC subway history

Kylie Robison and Boone Ashworth of WIRED both wore these stupid things for a couple weeks and reported the kind of experiences one might expect to have with an interactive AI device invented by a 22-year-old techbro:

If the idea of a microphone-packed wearable that's always listening to your conversations raises privacy concerns for you, just know that you're not alone. If your experience is anything like ours, wearing the Friend will likely earn you the ire of everyone around you. Curiously, you might even end up being bullied by the chatbot itself.

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theres a guy who got permabanned from the elden ring subreddit for self promotion for posting too many videos of him no-hit parrying various enemies and bosses but after every successful parry he turns and looks at the camera. and bc hes always wearing the albinauric mask its like: