An AI clone of Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, has been employed by his party to campaign from behind bars. Mr. Khan is still imprisoned despite having his three-year corruption sentence suspended in August. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), used artificial intelligence to create an audio clip addressing a “virtual rally” online.
The PTI reported that Mr. Khan’s speech was based on material he had written while incarcerated and had his attorneys review and approve. A four-minute audio message was played over what seemed like a talking artificial intelligence image, with internet disruptions throughout. The streaming disruptions were in line with previous efforts to censor Mr. Khan, according to global network monitor NetBlocks.
Mr. Khan’s voice impersonator praised his team for their historic attempts: “My fellow Pakistanis, I would first like to praise the social media team for this historic attempt.” “Maybe you all are wondering how I am doing in jail. Today, my determination for real freedom is very strong.”
Mr. Khan proclaimed, “Our party is not allowed to hold public rallies,” while he called on his followers in significant numbers to participate in the upcoming February 8 general elections. “Our people are being kidnapped, and their families are being harassed.”
Concerns about the forthcoming elections’ transparency have been heightened by interruptions to live streaming, as internet users have complained of throttling and slow speeds. According to PTI, six million people watched the event on Facebook, YouTube, and X.
According to Zulfiqar Bukhari, the PTI’s media adviser, the party was hit hard, and Mr. Khan was barred from participating in any political or public events. “We thought it’d be best to encourage voters with something coming directly from Mr. Khan,” Bukhari commented.
He said the temporary administration was “pulling stunts like slowing down internet across the country in efforts to reduce the outreach” of the political rally that took place online. The former international cricket star and politician received a three-year prison term on August 5 for failing to report income from the sale of gifts received while serving as an official from 2018 to 2022.
His inability to run for office for five years directly resulted from that conviction. Since Mr. Khan’s ouster last year, his attorneys claim that over a hundred charges have been filed against him. Examples of these are leaks of state secrets and the organization of violent protests. In connection with these accusations, multiple warrants of arrest have been issued. Mr. Khan has claimed that the authorities are trying to frame him politically, a claim that the authorities have categorically denied.
