Right between an elementary school and a public library in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, something unusual has popped up — and no, it’s not another trendy coffee shop. It’s Chat Haus, a coworking space… for AI chatbots. And get this: everything, including the “people,” is made entirely out of cardboard.
As reported by Tech crunch Created by Brooklyn-based artist Nim Ben-Reuven, Chat Haus mirrors the classic coworking hustle — think laptops clicking, coffee breaks, quick phone calls — but with a twist. The entire scene is populated by motorized cardboard robots hard at work. A sign out front jokes about “desk space” costing $1,999 a month, framing the exhibit as “a luxury coworking space for chatbots.”
Ben-Reuven didn’t build Chat Haus just for laughs (though it is hilarious). It’s his creative, slightly sarcastic way of processing how AI is reshaping his world. As a graphic designer and videographer, he’s already feeling the squeeze, losing freelance gigs to AI tools. Rather than get bitter, he decided to fight back the best way he knows how: with humor, art, and a lot of cardboard.
“I didn’t want it to be overly negative,” Ben-Reuven told TechCrunch over coffee across the street. “It’s easy to go dark. But humor opens doors — for all ages and all opinions.”
While we chatted, kids fresh out of school and curious adults kept pausing to snap photos or peer in through the window. It’s clear Chat Haus strikes a chord — poking fun at AI’s rapid takeover while keeping things light.
Underneath the laughter, though, Ben-Reuven’s message cuts deeper. He compares AI-generated content to junk food — satisfying in the moment but lacking real substance under scrutiny, just like his delicate, collapse-prone cardboard creations.
With the building awaiting renovation permits, Chat Haus is a temporary fixture — for now. Ben-Reuven hopes to keep it up until mid-May and dreams of moving the project into a bigger gallery. Just one problem: if that happens, he’s not quite sure where he’ll stash all his “cardboard babies” afterward.
For now, if you’re in Brooklyn, swing by 121 Norman Avenue. You’ll find an army of tiny, slightly creepy, slightly adorable robots typing away — a playful, poignant reminder that even in a world racing toward automation, there’s still room for art, humor, and a little bit of rebellion.
