AI Lottery Picks Are They Worth The Hype

The AI Lottery Winning Streak

Could Artificial Intelligence be the key to unlocking a lottery fortune? For Tammy Carvey, a 45-year-old from Michigan, the answer was a definite yes. As the Powerball jackpot climbed towards an incredible $2 billion, she asked ChatGPT for a set of numbers, played them, and later discovered she had won a staggering $100,000. Carvey was left in "total disbelief."

Just two days later, lightning seemed to strike again for Carrie Edwards in Virginia. The retiree prompted the chatbot, "Hey, ChatGPT, talk to me. … Do you have numbers for me?" The bot delivered, netting her a $150,000 prize which she initially mistook for a scam.

This phenomenon isn't limited to the US. Earlier this year, Italian media reported on three university students who won over $50,000 by developing their own AI algorithm to analyze past drawings. With the Mega Millions jackpot climbing to $965 million, many are wondering if AI is the new secret weapon for winning big.

What Do The Experts Say

Before you rush to consult a chatbot, data scientists and gaming experts urge caution. Kate Ruksha, a data scientist at Godel Technologies, put it plainly in a popular blog post: "AI isn’t a magic wand — it won’t help you win a jackpot. No model, no matter how sophisticated, can reliably predict a win."

The consensus among professionals is that lottery drawings are fundamentally random events, making them impossible to predict. Gaming expert Devin O’Connor, writing for Casino.org, agrees. "While AI can certainly provide insights on future events, when it comes to the outcome of random lottery draws, its guess is as good as yours," he explained.

Putting AI to the Test

To prove this point, app developer Jan Kammerath conducted an experiment. He used five popular AI platforms to generate lottery numbers and spent around $20 on twelve tickets. The result? Out of all the tickets, only five of the machine-selected numbers matched winning numbers, and none of them were on the same ticket. "The odds changed slightly statistically," he concluded, "but the results remain the same — it’s purely random guessing."

Even ChatGPT itself is quick to issue a disclaimer. When asked by The Post for numbers for the next drawing, it emphasized that it could not predict winning numbers because the lottery is based on chance.

The Verdict: AI Insights vs. Random Chance

While ChatGPT can't predict the future, it can offer some interesting statistical insights based on past drawings. The bot noted that an even/odd balance is common in winning combinations. It then provided three different sets of numbers based on different strategies:

• Hot Numbers: Using frequently drawn numbers from recent drawings.
• Cold Numbers: Focusing on numbers that haven't appeared in a while and might be considered "due."
• Random Selection: A purely random combination.

For those curious, one of its random selections was: 9, 28, 42, 51, 66, with a Mega Ball of 19. However, it stressed that playing these numbers does not improve one's odds of winning.

Ultimately, the handful of AI-assisted wins are likely coincidences in a game played by millions. The lottery remains a game of pure, unpredictable luck.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states and Washington, D.C. Despite the excitement, only seven jackpots in the game's history have ever surpassed the $1 billion mark, highlighting the incredibly long odds every player faces.