Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan campaigns for election from jail using AI-generated speech

Imran Khan has been in jail since August this year.

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, currently incarcerated, addressed a virtual election rally using an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated audio clip from prison. The four-minute speech, delivered on Sunday night, marked the first-of-its-kind event in the country that has been marred by instability and corruption in the recent times.

Khan's virtual presence was accompanied by AI-generated images and visuals from past Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) rallies, that garnered over six million views on social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Facing restrictions on public rallies imposed by the government ahead of the general elections on February 8, Khan's virtual address grabbed eyeballs.

"My fellow Pakistanis, I would first like to praise the social media team for this historic attempt,” the AI voice started off.

"Our party is not allowed to hold public rallies," Khan’s voice clone lamented, urging supporters to defy obstacles and turn out in large numbers for the upcoming elections. The leader accused the government of orchestrating a crackdown on PTI, with party leaders arrested or coerced into resigning.

"Maybe you all are wondering how I am doing in jail. Today, my determination for real freedom is very strong. Our people are being kidnapped and their families are being harassed," the voice said.

Khan, 71, who has been in jail since August, is embroiled in legal battles, including allegations of leaking state secrets. Despite securing bail in one corruption case, he remains in custody, asserting that the charges are politically motivated attempts to sideline him and his party in the crucial February elections.

“History will remember your sacrifices,” the voice added in the speech.

The speech was generated from text he had written from jail and his lawyers had approved it, his party said. The audio was played over an AI-generated image of Khan which appeared to be talking.

The virtual rally, however, faced obstacles as reports of internet disruptions emerged from various parts of the country. The PTI blamed the government for deliberately disrupting internet services to prevent Khan's supporters from watching the online speech.

NetBlocks, an internet tracking company, confirmed that many users claimed there was disruptions during the speech.

“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,” the company wrote in a post on X.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority denied the claims, and said there was need for caution in spreading unconfirmed news about the alleged internet outage.

Khan’s lawyers say more than 100 charges have been brought against the former cricketer since his unceremonious ouster from power last year.