I went to ElevenLabs' NYC pop-up. A robot poured me cold brew before I haggled with an AI shopkeeper. (www.businessinsider.com)

ElevenLabs hosted an interactive pop-up in New York City, showcasing its voice AI capabilities through various engaging activities, such as AI-driven bartering and robotic coffee serving. Attendees had the chance to haggle with an AI shopkeeper, designed to negotiate based on logical reasoning, highlighting the potential for AI integration in retail environments. This experience underscores the company’s commitment to demonstrating the practical applications of its technology beyond digital interfaces, emphasizing a hands-on approach to AI interaction. The event featured an AI robot named Adam that served coffee, although it struggled with specific requests, illustrating the challenges still faced in achieving seamless human-robot interactions. Additionally, ElevenLabs showcased its voice AI through entertaining audiobook narrations by various famous personalities and a phone booth allowing visitors to connect with an AI agent for industry insights. This blend of entertainment and technology illustrates the growing trend of experiential marketing in the AI/ML sector, as companies strive to make their innovations more relatable and accessible to the public.