AI Inspired by Rachel Duffy from The Traitors Checks Pint Prices
Rachel Duffy demonstrated exceptional skill in deceiving fellow contestants on the TV show The Traitors, inspiring a US engineer to develop an AI voice agent that calls pubs to inquire about their pint prices.
Matt Cortland, a fan of the show, created an AI agent with a Northern Ireland accent named 'Rachel'. Over St Patrick's Day weekend, AI Rachel contacted more than 3,000 bars across Ireland to ask about the price of a Guinness.
Cortland observed that pint prices "vary wildly" between establishments and aimed to develop an online price comparison platform to highlight good value options.
He explained the need for an AI voice agent capable of natural interaction with pub staff to encourage them to provide pricing information.
He specifically sought a voice similar to Duffy's, noting she sounded "so trustworthy."
"We're just finished watching the Traitors, she did such a spectacular job," Cortland told NI. "She convinced the whole castle, she convinced me."
Duffy won the fourth series of the show alongside fellow traitor Stephen Libby by misleading other players into believing they were loyal.
Cortland did not replicate Duffy's voice directly but selected from voice samples submitted to an AI lab. He chose a Northern Ireland accent both as a tribute to Duffy and because the voice "sounded and worked correctly" within his AI project.
"It's a variety of different factors, but broadly speaking it was modelled off of the concept of how good Rachel was in having chat and making people feel at ease."
Where Is the Priciest Pint?
According to TechEU, AI Rachel reached 3,000+ pubs, with 2,052 answering and over 1,000 providing Guinness prices.
Cortland compiled the data into Guinndex, an online index allowing customers to track and report pint prices in their local pubs.
The highest average price was found in Dublin, the home of Guinness, where a pint cost €6.75 (£5.84), though some pubs charged significantly more.
The lowest average price was in County Laois at €5.38 (£4.66).
If You Can't Afford a Pint, 'We'll Buy You One'
Cortland noted that "only a handful" of pubs appeared to realise they were speaking with an AI voice agent.
Regardless of awareness, some bartenders engaged in lighthearted banter with AI Rachel.
A bartender in Kilkenny laughed at the question and offered to pay for her pint.
"They're normally €6.20, but if you can't afford one, we'll buy you one."
When AI Rachel asked a pub in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh, about their price, a bartender joked:
"Twenty-five pound. But if you're coming in for a wee drink, I'll give it to you for a fiver."
John Doogan, owner of Doogie's Bar, told NI he could not recall if he took the AI call but agreed the response "sounds like something I would say."
He expressed no objection to the price comparison index.
"We're sort of snookered here because Diageo (owner of Guinness) put the price up a few weeks ago."
Doogan lamented that "the customer always pays" for corporate price increases.
Not all calls proceeded smoothly; in Lisburn, AI Rachel became engaged in a loop with another AI phone system.
Cortland's logs recorded the virtual hotel receptionist repeatedly apologising while AI Rachel responded with "Oh, dear," resulting in no pint prices being obtained during the confusing exchange.
In Donegal, a suspicious bartender quoted €5.80 (£5) per pint but then conducted an extensive inquiry.
"How many are coming? Where are you coming from? What part of the country are you from? Who's this I'm speaking to?"
AI Rachel 'Programmed to Be Truthful'
Unlike the contestants on The Traitors, the AI voice agent was programmed to provide truthful answers and to disclose that it was an AI conducting a price index.
"The AI was programmed to be truthful and to explain that they're just doing a price index and that they are AI," Cortland explained.
Originally from New Jersey and now residing in London, Cortland emphasized that his price index is not intended to harm Irish pubs, which he visits regularly.
He shared that he "fell in love" with Ireland after arriving on a scholarship about 15 years ago and eventually married a Dubliner.
"One of my major tenets here was to do no harm, I really want to do no harm to any pub."
Cortland has experience across the hospitality sector, from dishwasher to bartender, and has owned a company operating several pubs in the UK and US.
Understanding the challenges faced by pub owners, he stressed that Guinndex is not intended to shame establishments.
"I try to highlight hidden gems, perfect-rated pubs, places to go for a fiver or less."
He argued that if some pubs are concerned about being exposed for high prices, they should reconsider their pricing strategies.
