Imran Khan’s AI Speech Garners Millions of Views Despite Internet Suspension

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan made history by using artificial intelligence to campaign from prison, signifying a groundbreaking shift in political strategy. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), employed an AI voice clone from the notable startup elevenLabs, which recently raised $19 million in venture capital funding.

AI audio-generation software is making its debut in Pakistani politics, ushering in a new era of online political engagement. As the pivotal elections on February 8, 2024, approach, PTI’s embrace of AI technology signifies a paradigm shift in political communication.

CNN emphasized AI’s role in countering state suppression, and The Guardian highlighted its effectiveness in enabling Imran Khan to campaign from prison. Time Magazine reported a five-hour “virtual powershow,” featuring archival footage and ElevenLab’s synthetic audio engine seamlessly cloning Khan’s voice.

PTI’s social media team combined historical footage with synthetic audio for a compelling video, as reported by The Washington Post, The Verge, and Voicebot.ai. The BBC featured Khan’s four-minute prison-written speech, paired with an AI-generated image, highlighting the party’s challenges in hosting public rallies.

Twitter, YouTube, and other online platforms went down in Pakistan. PTI used AI for a “virtual rally,” per BBC. Khan’s voice clone thanked the social media team’s historic attempt and stressed the party’s commitment to real freedom.

With six million views on YouTube and Facebook, PTI’s media adviser, Zulfiqar Bukhari, emphasized the event’s extensive reach. Despite being imprisoned, Khan urged supporters to turn out in large numbers for the upcoming elections, citing a crackdown on PTI by authorities limiting their public and political engagement.

As The Atlantic’s CEO, Nicholas Thompson, noted, this innovative use of AI voice technology by an imprisoned political figure is a testament to the rapid advancements in technology—a remarkable development in the intersection of politics and artificial intelligence.