12.9.2025
Gen Z protesters who chased away their government in Nepal this week selected the country’s former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the new Prime Minister.
They used ChatGPT in selecting the new leader after former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned due to violent protests over the ban of social media use in the country. It was the worst civil unrest in the country.
The youths had asked the chatbot about potential candidates to lead a transitional government before a new PM was chosen and ChatGTP said it would “lean towards” Karki” – because she “seems likely to command trust across different groups and could help oversee reforms and the path to fair elections”.
It also suggested Harka Sampang, the mayor of Dharan, would be another ideal choice, because he would “stabilise the system and prepare for elections” and “could energise the youth”.
The chatbot said an ideal longer-term PM could be Mayor of Kathmandu, Balen Shah, a rapper who backed the protests – if he “can build the political support needed” to avoid supporting the government’s previous policies.
The question was posed to ChatGTP on an online forum called Youths Against Corruption (YAC), and many of its members have called for Shah to be permanent prime minister.
Some Nepalis slammed the use of the tech to pick a candidate, including one person who said: “To change laws, you need research, legitimacy and a real mandate. That’s not something you can just achieve using ChatGPT.”
Student Dikysha Koirala, added: “This has a direct impact on our future. The state is being destroyed. We have to go back and live there.”
Sushila Karki...Nepal Interim leader