Imran Khan declares victory in the Pakistani election in an AI-generated party video

Imprisoned former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan declared victory in the nation’s election in an AI-generated video that was made public by his party on Saturday. Despite a months-long crackdown that crippled campaigning and forced candidates to run as independents in Thursday’s vote, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) shocked observers with their performance. By Saturday morning, independents had secured at least 99 seats, 88 of which were held by supporters of Khan, according to a slow counting process. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which is supported by the army, secured 71 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured 53. The remaining 15 seats in the elected 266-seat National Assembly are yet to be announced. “I congratulate you all on winning the 2024 elections. I strongly believed in you all, that you would go out to vote,” Khan is credited as saying in the AI video shared early Saturday on his X profile – the fourth his party has produced. Khan’s physical appearance is from a genuine video clip recorded last year, but his voice and speech are artificially generated. Khan’s party redefined election campaigning in Pakistan with its social media “rallies” and use of artificial intelligence technology. TV channels are prohibited from mentioning Khan’s name or showing video clips of him, and the party was barred from holding in-person rallies. Instead, PTI media staff took the party’s election campaign online, holding YouTube and TikTok “rallies” – despite authorities regularly blocking internet access when they did so. The strategy is widely credited with earning independent candidates loyal to PTI the youth vote, contributing significantly to their success. (With inputs from AFP)