Matt Cortland, an entrepreneur, recently paid €7.80 for a pint of Guinness at a bar in Dublin and became curious about the price variations across Ireland. Surprisingly, the relevant authorities had not updated this information since 2011. In response, Cortland developed an AI assistant named Rachel, utilizing ElevenLabs technology with a convincing Northern Irish accent. Rachel reached out to over 2,000 pubs, inquiring about the cost of a pint. Many bartenders were unaware they were speaking to an AI and were quite welcoming, with some even offering Rachel special discounts. Cortland then compiled the gathered information into Claude and launched Guinnndex, a dynamic price index for Guinness across Ireland. While no significant price changes have been observed as of yet, the initiative is making headway; one pub owner has already reduced their price by €0.40 and updated the data on the platform. "If you’re charging €11 for a pint of Guinness, that’s acceptable. However, people have the right to know," Cortland emphasized. Looking ahead, Cortland aims to expand this concept, planning to create price indices for prescription medications in the United States and even pizza slices in New York City. Would you consider using AI to compare prices?
Informational material. 18+.
