Imprisoned Ex-PM Imran Khan's Party Uses AI to Campaign in Pakistan

PTI Party Uses AI Voice Clone of Khan for Virtual Rally, Drawing Over 4.5 Million Views

Imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), used artificial intelligence to generate a voice clone of Khan for a virtual rally.
The AI-generated speech was based on notes provided by Khan from prison, with the text then dubbed into audio using a tool from AI firm ElevenLabs.
The virtual rally, which lasted about five hours, was viewed by more than 4.5 million people across Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Khan has been in jail since August on corruption charges and faces other legal cases, making it impossible for him to contest the Feb. 8 parliamentary polls.
Analysts suggest this innovative use of AI could be a new way for politicians to circumvent state suppression, but also warn of the potential for misuse in spreading disinformation.