NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has highlighted the growing influence of social media, misinformation, and deepfakes on Nepal’s recent House of Representatives election held on March 5.
Speaking at the NXT 2026 Global Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, Dr. Bhattarai described digital platforms as modern battlegrounds for information warfare. He expressed cautious optimism about the political changes led by Nepal’s youth, noting a rising new generation in the country’s democracy.
Dr. Bhattarai pointed out that South Asia hosts the world’s largest youth population, calling it the birthplace of the first AI-native political generation. He emphasized that young people should not remain mere consumers of technology but should also become its creators and regulators.
“AI is not destiny; it is a political choice,” he said. Dr. Bhattarai warned that the centralization of technological power, rather than AI itself, poses the real threat to democracy. If applied ethically and for public benefit, technology could strengthen democratic systems; otherwise, it risks amplifying inequality and global instability. “The future of AI depends on the political and moral decisions we make today,” he stressed.
He also shared insights on Nepal–India relations, South Asia’s role, and the global digital power balance, praising India’s efforts to link technology with human welfare. Drawing from his experience studying in India, he expressed pride in Nepal’s proximity to a neighbor actively shaping ethical technology use.
Dr. Bhattarai highlighted how AI, robotics, and automation are not only reshaping the global economy but also influencing power structures and governance systems. He warned that if AI remains controlled by a few major corporations or powerful nations, developing countries could face a “digital minority” problem, threatening their national autonomy.
He urged developing nations to invest in domestic AI development to avoid dependency on foreign technologies, cautioning that reliance on external systems could undermine sovereignty.
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