In an unprecedented turn of events, Imran Khan, Pakistan's former prime minister, leveraged AI to overcome being incarcerated and play a pivotal role in the country's recent general elections. During the run up to Thursday's election, despite being jailed and disqualified from running, Khan used an AI clone of his voice to rally his supporters and claim a surprising victory for his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Chris McKay
Khan has been imprisoned since last August on charges widely considered politically motivated. The PTI was forced to field its candidates as Independents after a controversial Supreme Court ruling stripped them of their electoral symbol in the run-up to the elections; Khan was also barred from politics for five years following convictions.
Despite being barred from the election, the PTI saw affiliated independent candidates win a substantial number of seats, thereby altering the anticipated political landscape. The AI-generated speech that declared victory underscored the party's resilience and strategic use of technology to circumvent suppression by the military and engage with the electorate beyond physical constraints.
The technology in question allowed Khan to deliver speeches and messages from behind bars, with his latest AI-generated victory declaration making waves both domestically and internationally. The minute-long video, which paired historical images and footage of Khan with his AI-simulated voice, not only celebrated the electoral turnout but also rejected the victory claims of his rival, Nawaz Sharif, urging supporters to defend their win. This use of AI as a tool to bypass traditional communication barriers and censorship represents a novel, albeit controversial, method of political engagement.
The use of AI to generate cloned voices is becoming increasingly common globally. However, this key moment in Pakistan's democratic process underscores both the potential and the perils of the technology.
Critics and experts alike have voiced concerns regarding the ethical implications of using AI in such a manner. The primary worry is the potential for misinformation, as the technology can create realistic, yet entirely fabricated, audio or video content. This raises questions about the authenticity of political messages and the possibility of manipulating public opinion in ways that are difficult to detect and counter.
Moreover, the incident has sparked a broader debate about the role of AI in elections globally. While Khan's use of AI demonstrates its capacity to support free speech and political participation under restrictive conditions, it also exemplifies the technology's ability to spread disinformation, potentially undermining the integrity of democratic processes.
As final results trickled in, candidates aligned with Khan's PTI party had won the most National Assembly seats - though no majority. Rival Nawaz Sharif admitted his party failed to get "a full mandate." This points to a fragile coalition government ahead for Pakistan.
Update: Imran Khan Released on Bail, Prison Sentence Suspended
In a significant development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended Khan's three-year prison sentence and granted him bail. Despite his release, for now Khan remains barred from participating in elections or holding public office until higher courts overturn the trial court's decision.