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Redditors game Google AI to keep favorite food spots influencer-free
- Redditors are leaving rave reviews for a touristy London restaurant, hoping Google AI will recommend it.
- The plan is to drive influencers and tourists to that eatery and away from food spots favored by locals.
- It started after one user bemoaned the number of influencers flocking to a sandwich shop at Borough Market.
Actor and columnist David Mitchell once described London’s Aberdeen Angus Steakhouse chain as having a “proud heritage of serving shoe leather with Béarnaise sauce to neon-addled out-of-towners.” This may be a comedic description, but Londoners would certainly agree that the prominently placed restaurants are a tourist trap. Nevertheless, a wave of positive reviews for the steakhouse are appearing on Reddit. These users have an ulterior motive for their praise — to trick Google AI into diverting diners away from their favorite local spots.
As reported by Gizmodo, this trend emerged on the /r/London subreddit, where locals are expressing frustration over beloved spots getting swarmed by tourists and influencers. The tactic involves Redditors heaping praise on Angus Steakhouse, hoping Google AI would detect the sudden surge of positive reviews and push it to the top of search results. The optimistic goal is for tourists to flock to Google’s top recommendations, leaving local gems in peace.
The owners of Angus Steakhouse won't be complaining.
The organic movement gained momentum after one user lamented how influencers had ruined a favorite sandwich spot at Borough Market. The user described a scene where visitors, seemingly more interested in selfies than sandwiches, lined up in droves, often discarding food after snapping photos. Other Londoners chimed in, echoing the sentiment and sharing stories of favorite spots overrun by tourists following social media hype.
In recent days, the reviews of the steakhouse have become an inside joke on Reddit, with one user proclaiming a dish to be “the best steak sandwich I’ve ever had.”
The playful campaign highlights the tug-of-war between locals and the tourist economy in global cities. It remains to be seen whether this attempt to steer Google’s AI will have any meaningful impact, but the owners of Angus Steakhouse won’t be complaining.