Islamabad, June 12, 2025 – Bytes for All, Pakistan expresses deep concern over the growing use of AI-generated deepfake videos by supporters of political parties using anonymous online accounts to manipulate public perception, incite anti-state sentiment, and undermine national security institutions.
Recent investigations and an OSINT-based analysis conducted by Bytes for All reveal a troubling pattern of synthetic media being disseminated across social media platforms. These videos falsely depict political leaders and senior military officials—such as the Chief of Army Staff and Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed—engaged in fabricated misconduct, including ballot manipulation and inflammatory statements against foreign adversaries. Similarly, deepfake content featuring PTI leaders like Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Ali Muhammad Khan has been circulated to mobilize public outrage.
This manipulation of political narratives using deepfake technologies presents a dangerous escalation in Pakistan’s information warfare landscape. The deliberate use of AI-generated content to defame national institutions, erode public trust, and provoke unrest is not merely a digital nuisance—it is a threat to national cohesion and public order.
Weaponization of AI for Disinformation
Our forensic analysis has confirmed that many of these viral videos are created using still images of individuals combined with synthetic voice overlays, with AI detection tools confirming over 99% likelihood of audio fabrication. These videos, despite their artificial origin, are often consumed as real, spreading quickly across Twitter (now X), WhatsApp, TikTok, and Telegram, and influencing the public discourse with alarming effectiveness.
Undermining National Security and Trust
The misuse of deepfake technologies by political actors constitutes a severe challenge to Pakistan’s information ecosystem and institutional credibility. The dissemination of such fabricated content risks inciting mob violence, diplomatic friction, and a breakdown of trust in democratic processes. It also exposes vulnerabilities in the state’s digital governance, which remains largely unprepared to detect, regulate, or respond to synthetic disinformation at scale.
Read the full report: Artificial Intelligence & Disinformation: The Use of Deepfakes to Incite Anti-State Sentiment in Pakistan
