What does ChatGPT know about top Pakistani politicians?

There is a new AI bot in town and it has taken over the internet by storm. ChatGPT, developed by Open AI, has become a new obsession since its debut in November and is attracting a larger user base every day.

The artificial intelligence-powered (AI) chatbot is a free programme that generates text in response to a prompt including articles, essays, jokes and even poetry. 

The controversial model interacts with users in a conversational way, however, the chatbot is trained on data that only goes up until 2021. 

We asked ChatGPT who Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari, Parvez Elahi and Siraj ul Haq were. 

Let's see what ChatGPT knows about these Pakistani politicians. 

Imran Khan 

When asked about PTI chairman Imran Khan, the AI bot called him the current prime minister of the country, showing that the chatbot might be slow when it comes to keeping up with current affairs. 

As mentioned before, it has yet to be fed knowledge from 2022 onwards.

Here is what ChatGPT had to say:

"Imran Khan is a Pakistani politician, former cricketer, and the current Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was born on October 5, 1952, in Lahore, Pakistan."

"Khan is considered one of the greatest cricketers in Pakistan's history, and led the national team to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. After retiring from cricket, he founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore, which provides free cancer treatment to underprivileged patients."

"In 1996, Khan founded the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with the aim of creating a corruption-free, welfare state in Pakistan. He has been a vocal critic of Pakistan's traditional political parties and has campaigned on an anti-corruption platform.

"Khan first entered the Pakistani parliament in 2002, but his party remained a minor player in national politics for many years. However, PTI gained popularity in the 2010s, particularly among young voters, and won the 2018 general election, making Khan the Prime Minister of Pakistan. 

Shehbaz Sharif 

Proving yet again how it is not updated with current affairs, ChatGPT said PM Sharif was a member of PML-N.

We asked ChatGPT: "Could you please tell me who Shehbaz Sharif is?"

The bot replied:

"Shehbaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician who served as the Chief Minister of Punjab province from 2013 to 2018. He is a member of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), a major political party in Pakistan."

"Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the president of the PML-N. He has also served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and as a minister in the federal government of Pakistan."

Nawaz Sharif

When asked about the former PM Nawaz Sharif, the bot pointed to provided a concise glimpse into his life in a short summary.

Here is what ChatGPT said:

"Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan three times: from 1990 to 1993, from 1997 to 1999, and from 2013 to 2017. He is the founder of the political party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which is one of the largest political parties in Pakistan."

"Sharif has been a central figure in Pakistani politics for several decades, and his tenure as Prime Minister was marked by economic reforms, infrastructure development, and improved relations with India. However, his political career has also been marked by controversy, including allegations of corruption and involvement in several high-profile legal cases."

Maryam Nawaz 

Accurately calling her a "prominent member of PML-N", ChatGPT pointed at her "active role in her party's politics."

Describing Maryam Nawaz the bot said the following:

"Maryam Nawaz is a Pakistani politician and the daughter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. She is a prominent member of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), a major political party in Pakistan."

"Maryam Nawaz has played an active role in her party's politics, serving as its spokesperson and playing a key role in the PML-N's election campaigns. She has also been involved in various social and charitable activities in Pakistan."

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari 

When telling us about Bilawal, the bot tried a new angle. It told us the politician's name and designation followed by his date of birth and how he reached the position he is at.

Here is what the bot knows of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari:

"Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is a Pakistani politician and the current chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He was born on September 21, 1988, in Karachi, Pakistan, to Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. His mother, Benazir Bhutto, was the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, and his father, Asif Ali Zardari, served as the President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was appointed as the chairman of the PPP in 2014, following the death of his father, Asif Ali Zardari's sister, and his mother, Benazir Bhutto. Since then, he has played an active role in Pakistani politics, particularly in the opposition to the current government of Prime Minister Imran Khan."

"Bhutto-Zardari is a graduate of Oxford University, where he studied history and politics. He is also known for his progressive views and advocacy for women's rights, and minority rights in Pakistan. His political career is seen as a continuation of his family's legacy in Pakistani politics, which has been marked by both tragedy and triumph."

Asif Ali Zardari 

This time, we tried to probe the bot as well and as expected, it did not disappoint. When asked who Zardari was, it gave the following details:

"Asif Ali Zardari is a Pakistani politician and the co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), one of the major political parties in Pakistan. He served as the President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. Zardari is widower of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007."

"Prior to his presidency, Zardari had a long career in Pakistani politics, serving as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and as a minister in the federal government. He has also faced various corruption allegations throughout his political career."

The bot was able to share more details when asked.

"Sure, here's some more information on Asif Ali Zardari:

Zardari was born on July 26, 1955, in Nawabshah, Sindh, Pakistan. He was married to Benazir Bhutto, who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in the 1990s, until her assassination in 2007. Zardari became the co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) after Bhutto's death.

Zardari's own political career began in the 1980s, and he has been associated with the PPP throughout his career. He served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 1990 to 1996, and again from 1997 to 1999."

Maulana Fazlur Rehman

When asked about the head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the bot provided a short summary of the man's political career.

"Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a prominent Pakistani politician and religious leader. He was born on June 19, 1953, and is the son of Mufti Mahmud, a well-known Islamic scholar and politician. Maulana Fazlur Rehman is the leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) party, which is one of the largest religious political parties in Pakistan."

"He has served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and as the opposition leader in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. He is known for his conservative views and his advocacy of Islamic law in Pakistan."

Fawad Chaudhry 

Prominent PTI member Fawad Chaudhary was described as someone who has "held several important positions in the Pakistani government."

"Fawad Chaudhry is a Pakistani politician, lawyer, and member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He was born on April 1, 1968, and is a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party."

"He has held several important positions in the Pakistani government, including serving as the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan. Fawad Chaudhry is also known for his outspoken and often controversial views, particularly on social media."

Shireen Mazari

In Mazari's description, there was emphasis on human rights and her role as an activist. We received a four-paragraph detailed answer.

"Shireen Mazari is a Pakistani politician, human rights activist, and academic. She is currently serving as the Federal Minister for Human Rights in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan, since August 2018.

Mazari was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1956, and holds a PhD in Political Science from Columbia University. She has worked as a journalist, academic, and human rights activist, and has been a vocal advocate for women's rights, human rights, and democracy in Pakistan."

"In addition to her work in the field of human rights, Mazari has also been involved in Pakistani politics for many years. She has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan on several occasions, representing different political parties at different times, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N)."

"As the Federal Minister for Human Rights, Mazari has been involved in a number of initiatives aimed at improving human rights conditions in Pakistan. These have included efforts to promote gender equality, combat child labour, and improve conditions in Pakistani prisons. She has also been involved in efforts to improve Pakistan's relations with other countries, particularly in the context of human rights issues."

Parvez Elahi

Calling him a "veteran" politician, ChatGPT summarised Elahi's political career in one paragraph also mentioning his date of birth.

"Parvez Elahi is a veteran Pakistani politician who has served in various important government positions in his career. He was born on November 1, 1945, and belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) (PML-Q) political party. He has served as the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, and as a member of the National Assembly and Provincial Assembly of Punjab."

"He is known for his contributions to education, healthcare, and infrastructure development during his tenure as Chief Minister of Punjab. Parvez Elahi is also regarded as one of the senior and influential politicians in Pakistan."

Siraj ul Haq

When asked about the Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Siraj ul Haq, the bot provided a concise timeline of his political career and mentioned some of the things the politician is known for.

"Siraj ul Haq is a Pakistani politician who is the current Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), an Islamic political party in Pakistan. He was born on August 5, 1962, in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province."

"Haq started his political career as a student activist in the Jamaat-e-Islami, and later became a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly in 1990. He has also served as the Minister for Finance and Planning in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in 2002."

"In 2014, Haq was elected as the Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, succeeding Syed Munawar Hassan. He has been an active member of the party for many years and has been involved in various social and political activities in Pakistan.

As the Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Haq has been a vocal critic of corruption, social injustice, and other issues in Pakistani society. He has also been involved in various campaigns and initiatives aimed at promoting social welfare and improving the lives of marginalized communities in Pakistan."

Creativity and variety

While engaging with the bot, we also noticed its creativity. The bot has the capacity to answer the same question in several different ways and angles. 

The screenshot above shows how ChatGPT answered the same question in different wording when asked again.

As the reader must have also noticed, the bot is also unpredictable in the format of its answers where sometimes it would provide a short summary and other times, detailed paragraphs.

Disclaimer: Since ChatGPT uses different angles and phrases, responses may differ from person to person.