Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan now in prison for leaking state secrets, used AI to deliver a speech at a virtual rally.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Khan’s speech, lasting four minutes, was constructed using an AI-generated voice, closely imitating his own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This audio was integrated into a video showcasing his AI-created avatar, interspersed with images from past Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) rallies (Khan\u2019s political party) and earlier speeches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The AI voice, carrying a disclaimer that it was based on Khan’s notes from prison, conveyed a message of resilience and defiance against the current political constraints faced by the PTI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It said, “Our party is not allowed to hold public rallies. Our people are being kidnapped and their families are being harassed,” and added, “History will remember your sacrifices.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This refers to the intense crackdown on the PTI, which has seen numerous party leaders arrested or forced out of the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n Khan remains incarcerated following his indictment over allegations of leaking state secrets, charges he vehemently denies. Khan asserts that these accusations are part of a strategy by the government and the military to exclude him and his party from the upcoming elections in February.<\/span><\/p>\n The virtual rally, organized by the PTI, reportedly garnered over five million views on various social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. This comes days after reports out of Bangladesh cited AI fake news<\/a> was spreading on social media ahead of their election today. <\/span><\/p>\n Deep fakes, in general, have emerged as a critical threat of AI this year, with numerous cases of AI-generated fake media spreading fraudulent content or controversial imagery, political smears, and misinformation on the Israel-Palestine war<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another case saw politically motivated AI-generated fake clips of the ex-Sudan president Omar al-Bash shared on TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n The rally’s high engagement occurred despite reports of internet outages in different parts of the country, which many believed were orchestrated to hinder the online event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n NetBlocks, an internet tracking company, confirmed these outages. Their statement read, “Metrics show major social media platforms were restricted in Pakistan for [nearly] 7 hours on Sunday evening during an online political gathering; the incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2139\ufe0f ICYMI: Metrics show major social media platforms were restricted in #Pakistan<\/a> for ~7 hours on Sunday evening during an online political gathering; the incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI https:\/\/t.co\/AS9SdfwqoH<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XXMYBhknXd<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NetBlocks (@netblocks) December 18, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nInternet outages restricted the rally<\/span><\/h2>\n
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