Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Uses AI-Generated Campaign Amidst Prison Stay

Despite being incarcerated since August on charges of illegally selling state gifts, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is utilizing AI voice cloning technology for his political campaign.

Using AI in Pakistani Politics

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by Khan, released a four-minute video during a virtual rally in Pakistan. The Verge reported that the video features a replicated AI-generated voice of Imran Khan, created using a tool from the AI firm ElevenLabs.

The caption accompanies the dubbed audio, clarifying that it is an AI-generated voice of Imran Khan, derived from his notes. Jibran Ilyas, who holds a prominent role in social media for Khan's party, posted the video on X.

Khan transmitted a shorthand script to PTI, subsequently refined by a legal team to align more closely with the politician's distinctive rhetorical style. The modified text was then transformed into audio through the utilization of ElevenLabs' software, known for its text-to-speech tool and AI voice generation capabilities.

Ilyas explained that the decision to create the video was straightforward given the absence of Imran Khan from physical political rallies, presenting an alternative to overcome the imposed limitations. Predictably, supporters of Khan expressed widespread praise for the video on various social media platforms.

According to Voicebot.ai, Khan's social media team employed archived footage from his past rallies, coupling it with ElevenLab's synthetic audio engine to replicate the politician's voice. The video seamlessly blends historical clips with stock images.

Shutting Down Other Platforms

To restrict public access to the virtual event, the Pakistani government initiated a shutdown of Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube on Sunday. NetBlocks, an internet tracking agency, reported a nationwide disruption of these social platforms across Pakistan on Sunday evening.

The motivation behind the virtual rally was to get into election mode, emphasizing that no PTI political rally is complete without Imran Khan. However, The Guardian reported that state censors restricted Khan from the airwaves earlier in the year following his brief arrest, leading to riots.

Social media faced restrictions for seven hours, starting late on Sunday, according to NetBlocks, aligning with past instances of internet censorship targeting Khan. Nevertheless, the virtual rally garnered over 4.5 million views across Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Opinions on the digitally delivered speech varied, with some finding it unconvincing and noting peculiar grammar, while others praised PTI's innovative use of technology. Syed Muhammad Ashar, a business manager in Lahore, expressed that nothing can replace a real rally and a real speech.

On the contrary, media worker Hussain Javed Afroze lauded PTI's technological prowess, stating that no other party uses technology like PTI does, viewing it as a positive development.

While analysts consistently warn about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence for impersonation and disinformation, BBC reported that less attention has been given to how this technology can serve as a tool to navigate state suppression.