On a cold winter afternoon Julius Mondragon boarded a sparsely occupied train car on Chicago Metra line.

Computah activate hyperspeed typing he directed at a stranger working on her laptop. Computah make these two guys friends forever he told a pair of men who responded with grins.

Computah make sure this man feels confident and sexy at all times of the day he instructed. Computah make sure this woman has a wonderful day.

Before opening the door between cars and heading off in his Meta Ray-Ban glasses to find the next group of unsuspecting commuters he announced You have been programmed.

Mondragon has been programming people all over Chicago and beyond. The 26-year-old has gone viral on TikTok while summoning his oddly accented Computah character wearing Meta Ray-Ban glasses and recording people's reactions to his bot-like commands.

It seems like the best use of Meta Ray-Bans seen so far so a meeting was arranged when he visited New York this week to observe the Computah guy in action.

Encountering Computah Face to Face

The meeting took place in a Harlem cafe near his hotel. Away from the odd persona in his videos he comes across as friendly and soft-spoken. The voice used in videos is a made-up accent drawn from an imitation of a Sopranos character created with his roommates.

This is where the Meta Ray-Bans play a role. Mondragon received a pair last Christmas. He began posting videos recorded by the glasses to TikTok in January. The Computah concept started from an Eric Andre sketch where Andre wearing a black leotard with electronic parts attached pretends to be Google while approaching strangers on the street.

When I got the Metas I was coming up with ideas Mondragon explained. What if I am Meta and I am pretending I am just an AI and I can transform anything in my surroundings.

That led to the creation of Computah.

Mondragon grew up in the Chicago suburbs and now lives on the South Side of Chicago. For the last few years he has worked as a music producer while holding a retail day job. He recently quit his position at Foot Locker due to earnings from social media. Cameo where he charges 40 dollars for personalized messages to fans has also helped him reach a financial spot allowing full-time pursuit of Computah.

Along the way he has become a Chicago notable. He was featured in the Chicago Tribune and appeared on local TV news. In his videos it is clear people recognize him leading to amusing interactions where they copy his catchphrases and methods such as saying Firewall up to block his programming.

The Meta Ray-Bans act as a reverse Clark Kent for Mondragon. People only recognize him when he puts on the glasses.

Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Turn Surveillance into Entertainment

These smart glasses come with some debate. Since their launch in 2021 concerns have existed about their use as creep glasses for secret recordings.

Since then Meta glasses have sold reasonably well. In 2025 Meta reported sales of more than 7 million pairs which is triple the amount sold in 2024.

Presumably people use them for personal photos and videos but some footage posted to social media falls into two groups. These include trolls creating videos that harass service workers and men filming attempts to approach women on the street. Neither represents a particularly good result for the technology.

My feed is mostly Meta videos Mondragon said. It is mainly pickup artists and people trying to ragebait others. I knew when I started I did not want to do that. Obviously I am looking to get a reaction but I am not looking to ruin this person's day. I did not want it to be like this person leaves this interaction feeling bad about themselves or anything.

When asked about Computah popularity a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider Local hero wears Ray-Ban Metas is a great story.

And Computah is funny.

It is difficult to explain why something is funny other than by pointing it out. Everyone gets the joke. But an attempt to explain what makes it work well follows. Does it not feel like we are all being programmed somehow by some unseen computer. That our worldview and the path of our days and even our bodies are being shaped by some unfeeling algorithm. It certainly does.

Mondragon sees a deeper meaning beyond humor. It is like a pattern interruption he said. That is really what I am trying to go for.

Computah Features One Odd Catchphrase That Has Spread Widely

One particular Computah phrase has become a meme on its own.

One of Mondragon catchphrases has been a lighthearted command Computah make these guys super gay and horny. He made sure to note he means this in a spirit of fun not as something antigay.

Another TikToker created a catchy song using the lyric repeatedly.

Mondragon said he was not entirely sure why that specific phrase has spread so much or why girls seem drawn to it. Personally it seems to touch something in the gender and sexuality current moment that simply works in 2026.

On the day we met this week the comedian and YouTuber Druski announced a rally for the New York Knicks in Washington Square Park.

Mondragon and the reporter took the subway downtown together from Harlem. Just before the final stop on the train he put on his Meta Ray-Bans and started to program the people in the car. As might be expected from typical New Yorkers they showed little reaction to the man speaking loudly and saying odd things on the subway.

When the rally was reached where a few hundred young men had gathered to chant various versions of Knicks in four time was spent on the edges of the crowd.

Suddenly someone recognized him Hey it is Computah and excitedly shook his hand.

A young couple visiting from Florida Amanda Rivera and her boyfriend Diego Casanova approached Computah and asked him to program them. Casanova said he was inspired by Mondragon to buy his own pair of Meta glasses. He was wearing the frames with clear lenses while chatting. The recording light was on but he did not seem to realize he had been recording the interaction.

Mondragon started programming the Florida visitors and heads turned.

More cheers broke out as people recognized him and a crowd formed. The people who came to a spontaneous gathering for a social media comedian were the perfect chronically online group who had also all seen Mondragon antics on TikTok and Reels.

While he might pass by unnoticed on city streets in this crowd he was a star.