Imran Khan deploys AI clone to campaign from behind bars in Pakistan
Artificial intelligence allowed Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan to campaign from behind bars on Monday, with a voice clone of the opposition leader giving an impassioned speech on his behalf.
Imran Khan campaigns from prison
Pakistan's former prime minister, Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August on charges of leaking classified documents, used artificial intelligence to campaign from behind bars.
His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), organized a 'virtual rally' on social media where a voice clone of Khan delivered a four-minute speech.
The AI-generated speech was created by PTI using a tool from ElevenLabs, which is capable of creating a 'voice clone' from existing speech samples.
Khan's message to the people
In the AI-generated speech, Khan's voice clone praised the social media team for the historic attempt and expressed his determination for freedom.
He acknowledged the curiosity of the people about his condition in jail and assured them that his determination for real freedom was strong.
The audio was broadcast at the end of a five-hour live-stream of speeches by PTI supporters and was accompanied by historic footage and images.
Mixed reactions to the virtual rally
The virtual rally, viewed by over 4.5 million people on Facebook, X, and YouTube, received mixed reactions.
Some criticized the speech for its strange grammar and lack of conviction, while others appreciated PTI's use of technology and new tools.
Despite the limitations of a virtual rally, many expressed the sentiment that nothing can replace a real rally and a real speech.
