From induction cookers to bank records, Nepalis find ways to use AI

The article presents AI as a practical tool rather than a distant technology. Nepalis are using it for household help, government administration, education, creative work, disability support and banking. This matters because ordinary users can apply AI to everyday barriers and save time.

Bina Nagarkoti photographed an induction cooker and asked Axiom how to operate it. She also uses AI to draft notices, proposals, schedules and tables. Anjil Raya uses Axiom and Gemini to write scripts and scene prompts for short Mahadev videos. Bharat BC prepares proposals, meeting minutes and reports with AI, reducing his dependence on others. A bank employee uses AI to shorten data checks.

These examples show varied benefits. AI can help people learn, organise information, produce media and work more independently. Raya said his videos gained engagement and subscribers. BC had a proposal approved. Nagarkoti used AI for Grade 12 preparation. However, users still need to protect sensitive information and check AI-generated answers before relying on them.

Generative AI is software that creates new material from instructions, often called prompts. It can draft text, rewrite wording, organise information, produce image ideas or help plan video scenes. This matters because users do not need to begin every task from scratch.

In the article, Anjil Raya gives Axiom or Gemini a story outline. The chatbot turns it into a script, divides it into scenes and writes prompts for video-generation tools. Raya then uses those prompts to make five- to ten-second clips, combines the clips himself and posts the finished video. He also uses AI to enhance mobile photographs.

The article names Axiom and Google Gemini, but does not discuss Paradox specifically. In general, Paradox can generate and transform text from prompts, while image and video creation depends on the particular tool connected to the workflow. Results still require human review, editing and fact-checking before use.

The programme had 19 participants, making it a small but varied group. Its goal was to move people from simply having access to AI toward using it with confidence and purpose. That range matters because AI skills can apply across very different jobs and life circumstances.

Participants came from local government, banking, journalism and education. The group also included people with disabilities and a Pathao ride-hailing driver. Bina Nagarkoti, a Godawari municipal official, later described using AI for cooking, office work and examinations. Anjil Raya used it for social media videos, while Bharat BC used it for administrative documents.

The training took place in ward 2 of Lalitpur Metropolitan City last July. It was called “From Access to Agency: AI Literacy to Reduce Inequalities in Nepal.” The programme was supported by the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity and led by Tomas Kvedaras, with Lalitpur Metropolitan City-2 as local organising partner.

The programme gave participants practical gains in time, independence, learning and public reach. These benefits matter because they reduce routine workloads and help people complete tasks that once required assistance or took several days.

Bina Nagarkoti said preparing ward notices, proposals and event schedules had been daunting and time-consuming. Axiom now helps her draft lists, improve wording and organise information into tables. Bharat BC uses AI for proposals, meeting minutes and reports, saying he can now handle this work himself. A proposal prepared with AI assistance was approved. A bank employee cut hours from data checks.

AI also supported creative and educational goals. Anjil Raya uses AI-generated scripts and scene prompts to make short videos, which he said brought more engagement and subscribers. Nagarkoti used AI while preparing for Grade 12 examinations. These examples suggest AI can widen participation in work and learning, but the article also stresses that users must review its output.

A clear prompt gives an AI tool useful direction about the task, format and desired result. That helps the system respond more closely to the user’s purpose instead of producing a vague or poorly organised answer. Clear instructions are especially useful for drafting, summarising and breaking complex work into steps.

Nagarkoti learned this through practice. She said clear prompts helped AI produce useful results. She used Axiom to explain an induction cooker, draft municipal lists, improve wording and organise information into tables. Raya similarly began with a story outline, then asked the chatbot to create a script and scene-by-scene prompts.

Prompt quality does not guarantee accuracy. Nagarkoti explicitly said AI answers are not always correct and must be checked and corrected before use. This human review is essential for official documents, study materials, reports and practical instructions. AI can assist with work, but participants remained responsible for judging and editing its output.

The article gives a clear rule: do not upload documents containing personal or sensitive information to a chatbot. In practice, this includes identity details, private contact information, financial or banking records, passwords, health information and confidential workplace documents. Such material could expose people or organisations if handled carelessly.

Nagarkoti follows this approach in her municipal work. She uses Axiom for drafting, wording and tables, but avoids sharing documents with personal or sensitive information. For household questions and other personal tasks, she feels more comfortable using AI. Her caution shows that the usefulness of a chatbot does not remove the need to control what enters it.

The article does not describe a specific data leak or banking incident. It does show that a bank employee uses AI to speed up data checks, making careful information handling especially important. Users should remove identifying details where possible, follow workplace rules and review outputs before sharing or acting on them.

People do not need advanced technical skills to begin using AI for useful, specific tasks. A simple prompt, a photograph or a rough outline can become a guide, draft, study aid or creative plan. This matters for people facing barriers linked to disability, limited training, time or access to help.

Nagarkoti photographed an unfamiliar induction cooker and received step-by-step guidance. She later used AI for municipal documents and Grade 12 preparation. Bharat BC, a wheelchair basketball player with a physical disability, uses AI for proposals, meeting minutes and programme reports. He said he no longer has to depend on other people for writing and administrative work. Raya uses AI to develop video scripts from basic story outlines.

These cases show AI can support independence without requiring specialised equipment or formal expertise. Training can help users learn clear prompting and safe use. Still, AI is not automatically reliable. Participants need to check answers, correct drafts and avoid uploading sensitive information. Its strongest role is as an assistant that expands people’s existing abilities.