Abstract
This paper explores how generative AI is being deployed in political campaigns in India and Pakistan to create venerable representations of political leaders—particularly those who are deceased, ailing, or otherwise absent. While global discourse often centers on the nefarious potential of AI in spreading disinformation, this study shifts focus to more strategic and culturally embedded uses of AI in South Asian electoral politics. Drawing on case studies of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Aam Aadmi Party, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, we argue that AI-generated likenesses are not just technical novelties but deliberate extensions of traditional modes of charismatic leadership, moral authority, and voter mobilisation. These digital figures are used to invoke political continuity, regional identity, and symbolic legitimacy, showing how AI can reinforce rather than disrupt entrenched political cultures. The paper situates these practices within broader patterns of political communication, arguing that synthetic veneration represents a new, digitally mediated form of leader-centric campaigning.
Presenters
Umer JanPostdoctoral Research Fellow, Hasso-Plattner Institute, Hasso-Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam, Germany
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Communications and Linguistic Studies
KEYWORDS
Artificial Intelligence, Elections, Political Communication, India, Pakistan, South Asia
