Apparently, now even in Michelin star fine dining restaurants, people no longer ask the sommelier for recommendations, just take a photo of the menu and ask AI.
The something that's lost is the human communication of course. Has been happening for decades though, just accelerated.
Why the hell would you do that? Isn't the point of going to a restaurant of that caliber the whole experience and not just the eating? Like the server has been trained to discuss the dishes on offer and can give you information not on the menu, right?
I ask this not having eaten at a Michelin starred restaurant, but having eaten at some otherwise very nice ones. Hell, if I can't make up my mind at a perfectly run-of-the-mill joint, I'll ask the server for the recommendation.
I'm not sure how prevalent it really is, but there is a mini-genre on social media of waiters and waitresses being baffled by this phenomenon. I'd say it's a natural continuation of the erosion of social skills and the comfort of not having to communicate or be awkward or be seen as ignorant. People already shifted to takeaways and ordering to home even from "regular" sitdown restaurants, enabled by Wolt, Uber Eats etc.
Now, regarding the "point", I guess going there in person but not interacting much with the server is mainly about being able to say they went there and that they can post about it on social media and feel like they are keeping up with the Joneses.
If it’s a trend on social media than it’s most likely staged for some views or happens to a very little, very niche and irrelevant share of people and is being blown out of proportion because… you guessed it: views.