Claim: Multiple videos circulating online show Imran Khan working out inside jail premises.
Fact: All the viral clips look typically AI-generated and do not depict real events.
Video 1: This video shows the jailed former prime minister running on a treadmill, alongside a still image of him doing push-ups.
The text embedded in the clip reads:
اہم ترین
ابھی کچھ دن پہلے ڈاکٹروں کی ایک ٹیم اڈیالہ گئی تھی۔ عمران خان کے معائنے کے بعد ڈاکٹروں نے جو رپورٹ دی، اس کے مطابق سخت ورزش کی وجہ سے ان کے پاؤں کے تلوے سخت ہو چکے ہیں۔
عمران خان کی یہ تصویر بہت وائرل ہو رہی ہے۔
[Translation: Very Important
A few days ago, a team of doctors went to Adiala. After examining Imran Khan, according to the doctors’ report, the soles of his feet have hardened due to intense exercise.
This picture of Imran Khan is going very viral.]
Video 2: A similar version of the clip also shows a clean-shaven Khan running on a treadmill.
Video 3: Another clip shows Imran Khan lifting weights on a bench.
Fact or Fiction?
The videos appeared questionable as prisoners are not allowed to keep mobile phones, and it is highly unlikely that a visitor recorded such footage and released it online.
Nevertheless, we conducted a keyword search to determine whether any credible news outlets or reliable sources had published similar footage, but did not find relevant results.
Therefore, Soch Fact Check conducted a visual and technical analysis of the videos using AI-detection tools.
Our analysis:
The first video of Imran Khan shows multiple signs of being AI-generated. Several inconsistencies, commonly associated with synthetic media, were spotted in the clip. The visuals resemble a video game’s graphics. The movement of the treadmill belt does not align naturally with Khan’s feet, and even appears to slide or float at times. Additionally, his physical proportions and arm movements appear slightly distorted. They seem robotic as opposed to what we expect to see in a real recording. Individuals in the background also display repetitive and robotic movements or remain unusually static.
Visual inconsistencies in the video
AI detection tool results:
We scanned the video using SynthID, a tool developed by Google to detect AI-generated or AI-modified content. It confirmed that the visuals in the video were either generated or significantly edited using AI tools. While the video uses a real likeness and a familiar setting, the footage itself does not appear to be an authentic recording of the event it claims to depict, according to SynthID.
We then tested the video using Hive Moderation, which uses machine-learning models to evaluate media for indicators of AI-generated or deepfake content. It provides probabilistic scores that estimate if content was created or altered using artificial intelligence.
Hive Moderation results
The model reported an aggregate score of 56.9%, suggesting that the clip is moderately likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content.
Our analysis:
We spotted similar inconsistencies in the second clip such as distorted and blurred movements of background figures, and physical inconsistencies in how Khan’s feet interact with the treadmill belt. Imran Khan’s facial expressions also appear to distort as the video progresses.
Visual inconsistencies in the video
AI detection tool results:
A SynthID scan detected digital watermarks indicating AI-generated or modified visuals, though no such markers were found in the audio. Beyond the digital detection, several visual anomalies typical of AI-generated videos were observed. These include warping at the base of the treadmill as it appears to merge unnaturally with the ground. The lighting on the runner’s shirt does not consistently align with real-world physics.
Hive moderation also indicated a very high likelihood that the video contains AI-generated or deepfake content, with an aggregate score of 96%.
Hive Moderation results
Our analysis:
Toward the end of the video, Khan’s facial features appear distorted and he looks like a completely different individual. Meanwhile, the people in the background remain largely static or exhibit robotic movements.
Visual inconsistencies in the video
AI detection tool results:
According to SynthID, “at least some of the visuals were edited or generated using Google’s AI tools. For instance, the way the weights move and how his hands interact with the barbell doesn’t quite look natural. The lighting on his face also seems strange compared to the background environment.” The scan refers to visible motion inconsistencies in the barbell, moments where the hands appear to merge unnaturally with the object, and facial lighting that remains unusually uniform despite changes in the surrounding environment.
Results from Hive moderation indicated that the video is likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content, with an aggregate confidence score of 84.8%.
Hive Moderation results
Based on visual inconsistencies in all three videos along with the results from SynthID and Hive Moderation, it is highly likely that they are AI-generated and do not depict real events.
Virality
The first video was shared here (archive) and here (archive) on Facebook.
On Instagram, it was shared here (archive).
The second video was shared here (archive) and here (archive) on Facebook.
The third video was shared here (archive) on Facebook.
Conclusion: Viral clips of Imran Khan working out in prison are likely AI-generated. It is not authentic footage from inside the jail.
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Background image in cover photo:
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