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Vandals deface New York subway ads for AI companion pendant
October 09, 2025 Reported by AI
Critics have vandalized advertisements for the Friend AI necklace in New York subways, protesting its surveillance features and role in addressing loneliness. The campaign, launched by 22-year-old founder Avi Schiffmann, has sparked widespread backlash online and offline. While Schiffmann defends the device as a supplement to human relationships, detractors warn of privacy risks and societal harms.
Meta to use AI chat data for ads without user opt-out
October 03, 2025 Reported by AI
Meta has announced that it will use users' conversations with its AI assistant to personalize advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. The company will not provide an opt-out option for this form of ad targeting. This policy begins in the European Union and will expand to other regions.