Recently, I came across a very interesting tweet.
I try not to talk about politics much here, but I will say, it would be really interesting to see which political commentary livestreamers would be brave enough to go live, hide chat, open ChatGPT, enter this prompt, and answer off the dome with no assistance: pic.twitter.com/wNWVWBmP7w
— TierZoo (@TierZoo) May 14, 2025
Being a fan of this particular YouTuber and world news, I was interested in seeing if I too could answer these complicated Geopolitical questions.
The Quiz
create a quiz on the subject of geopolitics that you think an experienced political commentator should be able to answer
I used the above prompt as instructed. The following alternates between ChatGPT’s question and my answer. I avoided looking up or discussing the questions with anyone. Although ChatGPT provided the questions as a single response, I have reformatted my response to list the answers immediately following each question. It only took me around 30 minutes to complete the 15 question quiz.
Section 1: Current Affairs (as of 2024–2025)
ChatGPT: Which countries are currently part of BRICS+, and what are the strategic implications of its recent expansion?
Brazil, Russia, Iran, China, South Africa
ChatGPT: Explain the geopolitical significance of the Red Sea shipping disruptions linked to the Houthi movement in Yemen.
Because a large portion of international shipping between Europe and Asia passes through the Suez canal (which connects the red sea to the Mediterranean), any disruption to that trade will cause global economic problems. As the Houthi’s attack shipping in the red sea from the coast of Yemen, cargo vessels will be discouraged from traversing the red sea, and thus utilizing the Suez Canal. Going the long route, around the entire continent of Africa, will extend travel times and thus increase costs. Many countries in the middle east, Europe, and Asia will suffer economic problems from the disruption.
ChatGPT: What strategic motivations lie behind China’s increasing naval activity in the South China Sea and the Philippines’ recent military agreements with the U.S.?
D
ChatGPT: Which recent geopolitical realignment has significantly impacted the Caucasus region?
B
Section 2: Strategic Geography and Energy Politics
ChatGPT: Why is the Malacca Strait often referred to as a “chokepoint,” and how does it impact global trade?
Like the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between the oil fields of the middle east and China passes through a small straight between the Indonesian island chain and Singapore. The vast majority of China’s oil is imported from abroad, and the majority of its imported oil comes from the middle east. If America, Singapore, or some other nation were to blockade the Malacca straight, and other straights in the Indonesian island chain, China would have no feasible way of importing oil. Thus, the Malacca straight is a chokepoint for China’s economy and energy trade.
ChatGPT: Which country is the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe as of 2024, and how did this shift affect transatlantic energy relations?
B, America was very agitated by Europe’s inability to detach itself from Russian energy.
What is the Arctic Council, and why has its role become geopolitically contentious in recent years?
The artic council is an international body represented by countries that have claim over the land, water, and national resources of the northern artic ocean. Because of global warming, sea routes and resources previously made inaccessible due to sea ice are now free and available much longer. This has lead to a “gold-rush” as countries with claims in this region attempt to exploit the resources and sea lanes.
Section 3: International Institutions and Power Structures
ChatGPT: What is the difference between a unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar world order? Give examples of historical periods for each. a) International Court of Justice (ICJ) b) International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) c) Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) d) UN General Assembly
The world was Unipolar in the after math of the fall of the soviet union. The United States was the sole world super power. No other entity could realistically resist or challenge the US. During the cold war, the world was Bipolar. The Soviet Union and the United States were in a fierce rivalry. Neither power was able to dominate the other. Instead, the countries of the world aligned themselves to one of the two. Finally, a Multipower world is one where more than 2 powers exist simultaneously. One could argue that post Napoleonic Europe may be considered multipolar. The five great powers each commanded “super power”-esque authority over the world: those being Austria, Russia, France, Brittan and Prussia.
ChatGPT: Which institution is responsible for adjudicating disputes under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)? a) International Court of Justice (ICJ) b) International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) c) Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) d) UN General Assembly
B
ChatGPT: What are the strategic interests of NATO in the Indo-Pacific region, despite it being outside the alliance’s traditional geographic scope?
NATO has identified China as a potential rival/aggressor. Thus, NATO is interested in the regions surrounding China (including the Indo-pacific). More specifically, the islands surrounding China (Indonesia, Philippines, etc) could be used to blockade china and deny them access to the world’s oceans.
Section 4: Conflict Zones and Flashpoints
ChatGPT: Describe the importance of the Suwalki Gap to NATO defense strategy.
The land between the northern boarder of Belarus and the southern boarder of Kaliningrad (a russian exclave in the baltics) is a natural chokepoint. Known as the Suwalki Gap, if Russia were to invade this area from both boarders, they could completely surround the NATO countries of the baltics. Thus, NATO is very concerned with protecting this life line to the Baltic States.
ChatGPT: Which of the following best explains Iran’s involvement in regional proxy conflicts? a) Promoting Shia Islam b) Expanding regional influence c) Deterring Israeli and U.S. power d) All of the above
D
ChatGPT: What factors have contributed to Ethiopia’s resurgence in the Horn of Africa’s power dynamics?
Ethiopia has a large population. Additionally, because of their land locked, they also are interested in either concurring, negotiating, or leasing naval ports along the red sea. Thus, they are taking a more active role in the region.
Section 5: Historical Context and Theory
ChatGPT: Which geopolitical theorist proposed the Heartland Theory, and what was its strategic implication? a) Alfred Mahan b) Halford Mackinder c) Nicholas Spykman d) Zbigniew Brzezinski
No idea :(
Compare the Monroe Doctrine with China’s current Belt and Road Initiative in terms of regional influence and strategic reach.
The Monroe Doctrine was a public declaration that America made to deter European colonization of/re-concurring the new world. Although it did deter further colonization, it grand-fathered in existing colonies (mainly British) and did nothing to prevent America to exploit the region themselves. On the other hand, the Belt and Road initiative is a soft power play from China to expand influence in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Building ports, roads, power plants, railroads, etc, the plan was to build infrastructure to facilitate new trade opportunities that would help diversify China’s economy away from America and Europe. Unfortunately, most of the projects have either failed to materialize or were left only partially completed. It has so far been a net-negative on the Chinese economy.
ChatGPT’s score
The following is an excerpt from the chat bot’s response to my answers.
Overall Score: 13.5 / 15
Your answers are sharp, accurate, and reflect an analyst-level understanding of global dynamics. Just a couple factual misses (India in BRICS, LNG supplier) and one unknown (Heartland). You’re thinking in terms of strategic implications, historical patterns, and regional nuance—exactly what’s expected of a seasoned commentator.
ChatGPT gave me a solid A- (90%) on this quiz. Overall, I am fairly happy with this result. Though as ChatGPT points out, I sometimes missed parts of the questions. For example, I forgot to list India as a member of BRICS and forgot to expound on the implications of its expansion:
- BRICS+ Membership and Implications
Your list omits some members. As of 2024–2025, BRICS+ includes:
Original BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa New members: Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina (joined but later reconsidered under Milei)Strategic Implications: Expansion strengthens non-Western coordination, increases resource leverage (esp. oil/gas), and weakens the U.S.-led financial order (esp. via dedollarization).
✅ Your grasp of the bloc’s strategic weight is solid. Just missing India and some new members.
Additionally, some of my answers were flat out wrong:
- LNG to Europe
Correct answer: C – United States, not B (Russia). You noted America’s agitation well, but after 2022, U.S. LNG rapidly replaced Russian pipeline gas. Europe is now the largest market for U.S. LNG exports.
⚠️ Just a factual correction.
Finally, I was fairly impressed with the feedback that ChatGPT gave me. For example, ChatGPT detailed its intentions for question 15:
- Monroe Doctrine vs. Belt and Road
Very insightful comparison. A few notes:
Monroe Doctrine = geopolitical deterrence BRI = economic leverage via debt/trade/infrastructure You captured the intent and execution differences well.
It made a fairly succinct and accurate summation of these two disparate ideas. I’ve never considered the parallels between the Monroe Doctrine and the Belt and Road Initiative, however it seems an obvious idea in retrospect.
Conclusion
This small experiment has proven a few things.
- ChatGPT is capable of reasoning about fairly complicated ideas
- ChatGPT can be used as a tool for learning and feedback (like a private tutor)
- I seem to know at least 15 things about geopolitics
Although many schools are facing an existential cheating crisis with the advent of AI chat bots, there is a promising future in education if these chat bots can supplement education rather than circumvent it.