the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) employed artificial intelligence for the second time to broadcast a message from former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a virtual convention held on Sunday. The AI-generated message, based on Khan’s notes from jail, was a continuation of the party’s innovative use of technology in political communication.
Jibran Ilyas, the US-based PTI social media chief, confirmed the event, stating, “2nd authorized AI voice msg of Imran Khan based on his notes from Jail, played at the International Convention,” in a post on social media platform X.
This marks the second instance of PTI using AI technology after a virtual rally in December where a four-minute video, featuring a voice clone of Khan, was shared with party supporters on platforms like Facebook, X, and YouTube. The video was accompanied by historical footage of Khan and still images.
The convention, moderated by journalist Moeed Pirzada, included a panel featuring prominent figures such as Salman Akram Raja, Khaled Beydoun, Ryan Grim, Sami Hamdi, Dr. Mubeen Shah, and Turgay Evren. Imran Khan’s AI-generated message was played at the conclusion of the two-hour event on YouTube and was subsequently shared on X and Facebook by the party.
This virtual gathering took place a day after PTI’s second virtual rally on Saturday, which garnered over 300,000 views on YouTube and had live attendance on various social media platforms. Despite the party’s success in engaging its audience online, global network monitor NetBlocks reported social media restrictions for three hours during the event.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority countered these claims, attributing the disruption to a technical fault rather than intentional restrictions. Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi also reposted the AI message, and by 10 pm, internet services were fully restored nationwide after the reported disruption.
