An Adelaide pizza restaurant owner has threatened legal action after a local radio station, Nova 919, pulled its ‘Adelaide’s Most Awesome Pizza’ competition, accusing the leading business of using artificial intelligence bots to rig the votes.John and Leannda Kapiris, owners of Kapirisland Pizza, expressed outrage in a viral social media response after being informed by Nova staff that they were disqualified from the promotional contest, which offered a $5,000 advertising prize package.In an interview, a Kapirisland Pizza spokesperson slammed the radio station’s sudden decision and lack of transparency.“They called and said we are disqualified without any appeal or questions,” the spokesperson told news.com.au, regarding Nova’s initial contact.When asked if the station provided any technical proof or analytical data showing how they determined AI bots were used, the spokesperson stated, “No, they said they are not obliged to”.In a fiery video posted on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, Mr Kapiris detailed the phone call he received from the station’s team informing him of the sudden disqualification.Others you may likenewsnews“They accused us — or someone working with us — that [we were] tampering with the votes, and then he did mention about getting AI bots to vote for us,” Mr Kapiris said in the video. “I said, ‘If that’s the case, if you think we’ve been involved, show me the evidence … email me the evidence and show us what we’ve done wrong.’ “His answer was exact word-for-word: ‘We’re not obliged to give you this information, and by law, we don’t have to.’”Radio station Nova 919 cancelled its pizza competition and disqualified frontrunner Kapirisland Pizzas after alleging AI bots were used to manipulate the vote. Picture: Instagram/kapirislandShop owners John and Leannda Kapiris state Nova disqualified them abruptly over a phone call without allowing an appeal or providing technical evidence. Picture: Instagram/kapirislandAccording to the couple, Kapirisland Pizzas was leading the public poll by roughly 850 votes when the contest was suddenly scrapped. The spokesperson explained that their campaign relied entirely on direct, organic community outreach rather than paid digital tactics.“We posted on our social media to vote for us and asked customers that came into our store,” the spokesperson said.They claimed they did not hire any external marketing or digital agencies, adding there was “no campaign, only posted ourselves on social media, did not sponsor any posts”.“We’ve got over 200,000 followers,” Mr Kapiris added in the video.“Of course I’m going to win by a landslide … because I’ve got the best pizza.”The couple insists their massive lead was purely organic and claims they did not use any paid ads or marketing agencies. Picture: Instagram/kapirislandThe couple said they are actively pursuing legal avenues over the dispute.“We have sent an email and are speaking with lawyers,” the spokesperson revealed, noting that they are seeking a formal public apology and strict proof of the accusations.Beyond the lost prize, the spokesperson highlighted the significant emotional and operational toll the public fallout has created for the local business.The business says they are speaking with lawyers and demanding a formal public apology alongside proof of the claims. Picture: Instagram/kapirisland“It has caused financial harm — our customers are questioning why we are disqualified,” the spokesperson said. “The mental stress this has caused us and the financial stress should be addressed accordingly.”The spokesperson also noted that had they won, the $5,000 advertising prize was never intended for their own pockets.The couple had noted that they had originally planned to donate the $5,000 advertising prize to struggling local Adelaide businesses. Picture: Instagram/kapirisland“The $5,000 in advertising we would have won, we would have liked to give to struggling businesses in Adelaide,” the spokesperson shared, adding that winning the title alone “would have given our business a boost in turnover”.More Coverage‘A secret no longer’: Star’s family newsGabriela Amoils 41yo fitness coach dies during gruelling raceGabriela Amoils “This is a massive accusation for something that we are not involved in,” Mr Kapiris stated in the social video. “We don’t even know if it’s real because they won’t release the evidence.”News.com.au has contacted Nova Adelaide for comment. Read related topics:Adelaide