ISLAMABAD (HRNW) – Jailed former prime minister and PTI founder is said to have used an audio clip generated by artificial intelligence (AI) on Sunday to address a virtual rally in the first event of its kind in the country.
The audio clip, marred by internet disruptions, was played over the AI-generated image which appears to be speaking, during an internet rally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. It drew more than 1.4 million views on YouTube and was attended live by tens of thousands on other social media platforms.
“Our party is not allowed to hold public rallies,” the former prime minister said in the clip, urging supporters to turn out in large numbers at general elections set for Feb 8. “Our people are being kidnapped and their families are being harassed.”
The disruptions to livestreaming fuelled transparency concerns about the upcoming elections, with users nationwide complaining of slow internet speeds and throttling, a technique telecoms regulators use to choke streaming on apps.
Pakistan’s telecoms regulator said the interruptions were being investigated.
PTI founder’s speech was generated from a written version he had approved from prison, said officials of his party, who staged the event.
Jailed since he was convicted and sentenced to three years on graft charges on Aug 5, the PTI founder is embroiled in dozens of court cases, with some trials held in prison behind closed doors, which legal experts say infringes his right to fair proceedings.
Murtaza Solangi, information minister in caretaker government assigned to supervise the elections, said the query on internet disruptions could be referred to the telecom regulator or the ministry of information technology, saying, “I have no information about it.”
He, however, didn’t respond to whether it was a violation of free speech and assembly mandated by election laws for a free and fair voting, which in this case could be a pre-poll rigging.