The emergency meeting of Nepal’s security officials was fraught with tension. Following the Home Minister’s resignation, the weight of public scrutiny pressed down as they drafted their report for parliament. Opinions were sharply divided.
“We must analyze the values of Generation Z,” insisted one high-ranking official, pacing the room. “Their demands, their online culture – it’s crucial to understanding this unrest.”
“Nonsense,” scoffed another, a veteran with a thick mustache. “This reeks of foreign interference. I’ve seen it before; outside agitators are behind these ‘spontaneous’ protests.”
A quiet voice cut through the bickering. “I recently received a strange report from my junior colleague,” Shila began, her voice steady. As an employee seconded from the Ministry of Education, her presence in the security agency was often tolerated rather than respected. “Apparently, students are starting to think less critically.”
“This isn’t the time to discuss the current mindset of students,” the old-timer official grumbled, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
“No, I think this is important,” Shila countered, undeterred. “The recent protests are a bit strange, aren’t they?”
One official, who had been silently observing, finally looked at Shila. “Actually, we’re getting reports from the field that ‘the recent protests are different from before.’ Tell us your thoughts.”
Shila nodded. “Yes. Social media has a significant influence on recent protests. Unlike traditional mass media, information spreads and is disseminated starting from individuals.”
“So, you mean it’s making control more difficult?” the old-timer asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
“No, I think new instigators are emerging.”
The Security Chief, who had been listening intently, leaned forward. “Indeed, it’s difficult to identify instigators in recent protests. What do you mean by ‘new instigators’?”
Shila looked around at the officials’ faces, a slight pause for dramatic effect. “AI.”
An official across the table dropped the file he was holding, the thud echoing in the suddenly silent room. “AI? Artificial intelligence is orchestrating riots?” he stammered, his eyes wide.
“Not exactly orchestrating,” Shila clarified, “but I think it effectively supports users with specific interests or thought patterns, organizing them in a way that doesn’t necessarily involve expressing a specific opinion.”
The room was quiet for a moment, the implications of her statement hanging heavy in the air. The concept of an unseen, algorithmic force shaping public dissent was unsettling.
A few days later, a highly secure government server room hummed with activity as a team of IT specialists, under Shila’s direction, delved into the digital landscape of Nepal’s social media. The screens flickered with complex algorithms and data streams, searching for anomalies.
All names of people and organizations appearing in this story are pseudonyms
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