When Tammy Carvey, a 45-year-old resident of Wyandotte, Michigan, decided to try her luck with the Powerball lottery, she turned to an unlikely source for help: artificial intelligence. Specifically, she asked ChatGPT, an AI language model, to generate a set of numbers for her. Little did she know, this digital gamble would soon pay off in a way she and her husband could hardly believe.
According to the Michigan Lottery, Carvey purchased her Powerball ticket online through MichiganLottery.com for the September 6, 2025, drawing, when the jackpot had soared to an astronomical $1.787 billion. "I only play Powerball when the jackpot gets up there and the jackpot was over $1 billion, so I bought a ticket," Carvey explained to lottery officials, as reported by KARE 11 and Fox News.
Rather than picking numbers herself or relying on the traditional "quick pick" option, Carvey decided to experiment. "I asked ChatGPT for a set of Powerball numbers and those are the numbers I played," she said. The numbers ChatGPT generated—11, 23, 44, 61, 62, and the Powerball 17—turned out to be more than just random digits. When the results were announced, Carvey discovered she had matched four of the white balls and the red Powerball, a combination worth $50,000.
But the surprises didn’t end there. Carvey had also opted to pay a little extra for the Power Play feature, which doubles certain non-jackpot winnings. At first, she didn’t realize the impact of this choice. "Google told me it was a $50,000 prize, so that’s what I thought I’d won," Carvey recalled. "It wasn’t until I logged into my Michigan Lottery account that I realized I added the Power Play to my ticket and actually won $100,000! My husband and I were in total disbelief." She later visited Michigan Lottery headquarters to claim her prize, according to the official press release cited by Fox News.
Carvey’s story quickly made waves, with the Michigan Lottery sharing her success on social media. "Tammy Carvey turned artificial intelligence into a real-life win when she won a $100,000 Powerball prize with a set of numbers generated by ChatGPT!" the Michigan Lottery posted on X (formerly Twitter) on October 16, 2025.
As for her newfound fortune, Carvey has practical plans. She intends to pay off the rest of her home and put the remainder in savings, a decision that reflects her level-headed approach to the windfall. "My husband and I were in total disbelief," she reiterated, still processing the unexpected turn of events that a simple experiment with AI had brought into their lives.
But Carvey’s story isn’t unique—at least, not anymore. In a twist that highlights a budding trend among lottery players, another woman, Carrie Edwards from Virginia, also found luck with ChatGPT-generated numbers. For the September 8, 2025, Virginia Lotto drawing, Edwards used the AI to select her Powerball numbers, which landed her a $50,000 prize. Thanks to the Power Play feature, her winnings were tripled to $150,000. In a gesture of generosity, Edwards donated her entire prize to charity, as reported by Fox News.
This growing phenomenon of using AI to pick lottery numbers has sparked curiosity and conversation among players and observers alike. Is there really a secret sauce in artificial intelligence that can outsmart the odds? The Michigan Lottery was quick to address this speculation, making it clear that while AI can generate numbers, it cannot predict winning combinations. "The results of all Lottery drawings are random and cannot be predicted by utilizing artificial intelligence or other number-generating tools," the lottery stated unequivocally.
That hasn’t stopped hopefuls from trying their luck. With jackpots reaching sky-high figures—like the $1.787 billion prize split by two winners in the September 6 drawing—players are increasingly turning to technology for inspiration, if not for a guaranteed win. For Carvey and Edwards, the use of AI was more about adding a twist to the age-old tradition of picking numbers than about seeking a scientific edge.
Carvey’s experience also underscores the importance of understanding the fine print when playing the lottery. Her initial assumption that she’d won $50,000 was based on information she found online, but the extra Power Play feature she’d purchased doubled her prize. It wasn’t until she logged into her official Michigan Lottery account that the full magnitude of her win became clear. "When I checked the winning numbers, I saw I matched four white balls and the Powerball and knew I had to have won something," Carvey said. "Google told me it was a $50,000 prize, so that’s what I thought I’d won. It wasn’t until I logged into my Michigan Lottery account that I realized I added the Power Play to my ticket and actually won $100,000!"
For the record, the winning numbers in the historic September 6 drawing were 11, 23, 44, 61, 62 and the Powerball 17. The jackpot, one of the largest in Powerball history, was split between two lucky ticket holders. But for Carvey, the thrill of her own win was more than enough. Her story, and that of Edwards, illustrates how technology—especially AI—has found its way into even the most traditional games of chance.
It’s worth noting that while AI like ChatGPT can generate random sets of numbers, the odds of winning remain the same as ever. The Powerball, like all lotteries, is a game of pure chance. The Michigan Lottery’s statement serves as a reminder: no algorithm, AI, or system can beat the randomness built into the game. Yet, the sense of novelty and fun that comes from letting a computer choose your fate adds a new layer to the experience for many players.
As AI continues to permeate daily life, from writing essays to generating art, it’s perhaps no surprise that it’s also being enlisted in the pursuit of lottery dreams. For some, like Tammy Carvey and Carrie Edwards, it’s led to life-changing surprises—albeit ones that remain, at heart, the product of luck.
In the end, Carvey’s story is a testament to the unpredictable magic of the lottery and the enduring hope that comes with every ticket—no matter who, or what, picks the numbers.
