Redditors game Google AI to keep favorite food spots influencer-free

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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• 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.




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