Comedy CentralRandy Marsh is so back, and he’s got ChatGPT by his side – but did South Park Season 27 Episode 3 use AI? A hidden joke has resurfaced and some are taking it a little too seriously.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren’t holding back. So far, Season 27 of the hit animated series has targeted Charlie Kirk, JD Vance, ICE, Kristi Noem, and the actual US president Donald Trump.
South Park’s latest episode shifts focus from the MAGA world (although Trump’s teeny weeny does make an appearance), instead satirizing tech bro culture and AI through an alltime classic format: Randy and his Tegridy Farms business.
It’s safe to say that South Park’s approach has rubbed many up the wrong way (including the White House), meaning Season 27 is doing its job, but it’s led to one question.
Does South Park use AI?
No is the answer to that question. South Park does not use artificial intelligence to write its content, but it did enlist the help of ChatGPT to write a nonsensical ending to Season 26 Episode 4, ‘Deep Learning’, as part of a very meta joke.
Essentially, the creators used AI to mock AI, proving South Park is the best TV show when it comes to skewering hot-button issues, but it was also a way to poke fun at its own tropes.
As a result, the credits of the episode say that it was written by Trey Parker and ChatGPT, But rest assured, this wasn’t an indication that South Park scripts are now written by machine – it’s just another self-aware quip.
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A screenshot of this has been shared online, with one suggesting that Season 27 Episode 3 was “written by ChatGPT, too”. Others agreed, with one writing, “It shows when you have a Randy Marsh episode and it isn’t funny.”
“Matt and Trey are a lot funnier when they’re not The Colbert Report,” said another, while a third added, “I’m not kidding ..this was the worst episode of South Park I’ve ever seen. And I’m not even talking about them going at Trump. It just felt so disjointed… one joke theme the whole time.”
Anyone who’s watched the show knows that each episode usually builds around a central theme or gag, and this one was no different. As said, the latest chapter of South Park has upset a lot of people by going after MAGA, so it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s backlash.
Not everyone agrees with the negative feedback, with one writing in response to the credits tweet, “They been putting that into every episode as a joke for stupid people like you.”
ChatGPT returns in Season 27 Episode 3
It might not have been written by AI, but South Park Season 27 Episode 3, ‘Sickofancy’, does go after ChatGPT again, this time ripping into the issue of the chatbot being overly agreeable – or, as OpenAI put it, sycophantic.
Comedy CentralThe plot itself takes Randy back to Tegridy Farms for another misadventure, this time colliding with the world of AI and tech bro culture.
When ICE raids threaten the farm’s future, Randy turns to ChatGPT for guidance, only to find himself spiraling into buzzword-heavy schemes and ketamine-fueled “innovation,” alongside the return of everyone’s favorite pot-smoking towel, Towelie.
South Park’s fast turnaround allows Parker and Stone to react to current events at lightning speed, and this episode is no different – when we head to Washington DC, it’s been militarized by Trump.
Fans are loving the latest chapter, with one writing on X/Twitter, “Only South Park would have Satan run his thing with Trump through ChatGPT… turns out the bot just can’t stop agreeing.”
“The Tegridy era of South Park is over, but man it was a lot of fun. South Park will be here for years and years. I’m excited about the future,” said another, while a third added, “South Park has proven once again it is a cinematic masterpiece.”
Find out when the next episode drops with our guide to the South Park Season 27 release schedule. You can also check out our rundown of the best South Park episodes, find out how to watch the infamous banned episodes, and learn about why the show is no longer on HBO Max.
