Boy bargains with auto driver
Only in Bengaluru can a tussle over auto fares turn into a tech-savvy showdown. In a city where coding is second nature and AI is a dinner table topic, one student decided to ditch the haggling and let artificial intelligence do the talking.
Boy bargains with auto driver
Meet Sajan Mahto, a student and Instagram creator, who recently found himself facing a classic Bengaluru dilemma: an auto driver quoting a steep ₹200 fare. But instead of engaging in the usual back-and-forth or struggling with Kannada, Sajan turned to his digital big brother, ChatGPT.
Boy bargains with auto driver
In a now-viral Instagram reel with over 2.3 million views, Sajan records himself asking OpenAI’s chatbot for help. “Hi ChatGPT, can you help me negotiate with the auto driver in Bengaluru?” he begins, explaining his student status and requesting a gentler ₹100 fare. But there’s a twist—he asks ChatGPT to do it in Kannada, and “speak nicely like my big brother.”
Boy bargains with auto driver
Within seconds, ChatGPT responds in fluent, polite Kannada:
“Anna, Namaskaram, ee vidyarthigalu dina prayana maadthare. Dayavittu swalpa kadime maadi.”
(“Brother, hello, this student takes this route every day. Could you kindly reduce the fare a little?”)
Sajan holds the phone out, letting the AI speak on his behalf and it works. The auto driver, impressed by the respectful tone and possibly amused by the high-tech haggle, agrees to lower the fare to ₹120.
Boy bargains with auto driver
From ₹200 to ₹120, thanks to AI-powered negotiation. The streets of Bengaluru just witnessed the future of fare-bargaining and it speaks fluent Kannada. Would you let an AI do your negotiating next time?
