Woman Picks Powerball Numbers with ChatGPT — Wins $150,000

Carrie Edwards of Midlothian won by matching four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball in the September 8 drawing. The winnings would have been $50,000 but by adding the Power Play option, she tripled her prize. What happened next is heartwarming.

How She Picked Her Winning Numbers

Looking back at her selection process, Edwards claims she turned to the AI Chatbot and said, “Hey, ChatGPT, talk to me. … Do you have numbers for me?" Despite ChatGPT’s claim that Powerball was all chance and that nobody can predict the winning numbers, it generated four of the five winning numbers. Random chance? Absolutely, yes. But Powerball is all about that.

Edwards received a notification two days later requesting that she collect her winnings. Believing at first that this was just a scam, she logged into her online lottery account and discovered that this was far from the truth.

Edwards, who isn’t a regular lotto player of lotto, had purchased her ticket for the first time with the Virginia Lottery app. The numbers for September 8 were 26, 28, 41, 53 and 64 and the Powerball was 9.

Edwards Donated 100% of Her Winnings to Worthy Causes

Edwards instantly knew what to do with her winnings. "I needed to give it all away because I’ve been so blessed, and I want this to be an example of how other people, when they’re blessed, can bless other people." 

Edwards made three selfless donations and the first was to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), an organization that supports research, education, and family resources for individuals impacted by early onset dementia.

This “deeply personal” decision by Edwards honors her late husband, Steve, a firefighter and father who died from the disease. Edwards wanted to help other families who are fighting the terrible disease and to contribute to researchers finding a cure for it.

Coinciding with the World FTD awareness week between September 21-27, Edwards’ second donation was to a nonprofit farm and food justice organization named Shalom Farms — a company that annually provides 400,000 servings of fresh produce to Richmond, Virginia.

She also honored her late father Captain Peter Swanson, a Navy fighter pilot, by donating to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS). This organization supports active-duty service members, veterans and their families with emergency assistance and financial support. She claims her father gave a "life of service and generosity." Her donation ensures that other sailors, Marines, and their families get the support they need.

Edwards claims that the three organizations to which she donated her winnings represent healing, community, and service to her. She tells outlets that "Shalom Farms heals through food and soil, AFTD brings hope through research and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society carries forward the tradition of supporting military families in times of need."

Edwards feels “blessed that this unexpected lottery win could serve a greater purpose." 

Meanwhile, Powerball Rolls On…

If you’re interested in taking part in the next Powerball drawing, you can buy your tickets online here (in some states) or through a local lottery retailer. Whether you strategize your numbers by analyzing the statistics, or try your luck with an AI chatbot like Edwards did, there is much to play for.

The Powerball jackpot currently stands at $160 million. Even if you don’t win the main jackpot, there are still multiple prize tiers to play for, some modest and others substantial. 

Buy your Powerball lotto tickets today.