ElevenLabs pop-up features robot barista and AI shopkeeper

ElevenLabs, a company specializing in voice AI and translation, hosted a pop-up event in New York to showcase its technology. The event featured a robot barista named Adam, which served cold brew coffee, though it required assistance for adding almond milk. Attendees also had the opportunity to interact with an AI shopkeeper, attempting to haggle for merchandise like t-shirts and baseball caps. The AI was programmed to accept reasonable offers but resist anger. The reporter attempted to negotiate a $27 baseball cap down to $15, eventually reaching $24 before deciding not to purchase it. Other activations included AI audiobook narrators, an AI photo generator, and a phone booth to call an AI agent. The pop-up aimed to provide a physical manifestation of ElevenLabs' often digital product and attract customers, tech week attendees, and the general public.