Claim: A video shows a soldier calling for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and for a reduced corruption in Pakistan after the IMF released a report about corruption issues across state institutions in the country.
Fact: Analysis of the footage reveals it is AI-generated.
A Facebook user posted a video (archive) apparently showing a Pakistan Army soldier calling for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is incarcerated on various corruption charges, which he has denied, and demanding reduced corruption in the country. In the clip, he says:
“Enough is enough now, release Imran Khan, lower the political temperature, and think about the poor people. Even after the IMF report, if you people do not reduce corruption, this country will end. The people are dying of hunger and you people…”
The claim refers to a report released by the International Monetary Fund on persistent corruption across state institutions in Pakistan, which also offers recommendations for reforming its system.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check’s analysis found that the video is AI-generated.
The background and its settings have inconsistencies that suggest the footage is AI-generated. Firstly, the faces of the people behind the soldier are completely distorted, with no recognizable features, as AI often fails to render human facial features correctly.
The faces of the people in the background are highly distorted.
The Pakistani flag on the left, though partially covered by the soldier’s hand, is missing a star that appears alongside the crescent.
The soldier’s eyes first appear to stare blankly, and then the movement is slow and unnatural. His hair, too, is airbrushed, which is a sign that it is artificially generated.
Soch Fact Check also analysed the video via AI detection tools. One such tool is Hive Moderation, which gave a probability of 99.9% and stated that “overall, the video is likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content”.
Results from Hive Moderation.
Another tool, Zhuque AI Detection Assistant, yielded a total score of 75.48%, confirming it is AI-generated.
Results from Zhuque AI Detection Assistant.
DeepFake-O-Meter, an initiative of the University at Buffalo, uses various algorithms to detect whether a clip is a deepfake. Four algorithms gave a probability above 50%, indicating that it is AI-generated. While other algorithms gave lower scores, it is likely because AI generation software is improving, making it harder for tools to detect it.
Results from Deepfake-O-Meter.
Since four algorithms of the tool gave a high probability, as did two other tools that yielded a high score, and given the analysis of the clip, Soch Fact Check therefore concludes it is a fake.
Virality
The Facebook post garnered 767,000 views and received 34,000 reactions.
It also appeared on Facebook here and here.
Conclusion: A video of a soldier demanding the release of Imran Khan and calling for a reduction in corruption is a deepfake.
Background image in cover photo: Zameen.com
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