A video purporting to be less than 40 seconds long and circulating on social media has sparked a political storm in Punjab, embroiling Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a controversy months before the 2027 assembly elections.
The video, which purportedly shows a man resembling Mann pouring alcohol on and desecrating an image of the Sikh guru, sparked political conflict, forensic claims and counter-claims, and a growing debate over the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in electoral politics.
The CM initially denied that the video was AI-generated, but Akal Takht later called it “authentic” citing a forensic evaluation. Mann later reversed his stance and claimed that the person in the video was not himself, but an actor sent to defame him. He later added that the physical discrepancy rules out his identity.
Mann suggested Thursday that the person in the video may have been wearing a mask to impersonate him and that the footage may have been filmed in a Canadian hotel room to smear him.
The controversy has focused attention on the use of AI by political parties.
AI as a political tool
Increasingly, political parties in the state are releasing AI videos targeting their rivals while ignoring objectionable content as fabricated.
The AAP, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress all use AI-generated videos depicting fictitious conversations between political leaders, often imitating real voices. These videos are typically labeled as “AI-generated,” but experts warn that distinction is becoming increasingly lost on casual viewers.
One such video shared by SAD shows Mann reacting violently after seeing Akal Takht’s televised statement, followed by a staged conversation involving his wife and fictitious instructions to police authorities to obtain a fake forensic report in his favour. The clip then cuts to actual footage of Mann addressing the media.
AAP also relies on AI to target rivals. One such video shows an imagined private conversation between SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bathinda MP and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, depicting internal discord and political discontent.
Congress has also jumped on the AI bandwagon, releasing a video in which Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal are seen discussing election promises and messaging strategies to voters in a fabricated conversation.
How parties create videos
Stakeholders’ social media teams acknowledge the increased use of AI tools, citing platforms that can generate scripts, audio and video avatars within hours.
According to SAD’s social media representative, the characters will be created using real photographs, and the voice cloning tool will replicate voice patterns from public recordings. “We use expensive high-tech AI software and tools to create such videos. First, a character is created using a real photo of the person. The characters for Letime are created. The script is then finalized and the dialogue is lip-synced using separate software. It takes two to three hours to create a realistic video,” the rep said, adding that an outsourced team will handle much of the production.
Social media giants AAP and Congress leaders say AI should be used cautiously, preferably for satire or mild political messages rather than defamatory content. “The line between AI-generated content and real content is getting thinner and thinner,” the council’s social media coordinator said, pointing to tools like Runway and ChatGPT-based video generators used for rapid content creation.
What the parties say
Although SAD claims the AI videos are intended for political commentary, a party spokesperson acknowledged that the medium raises credibility concerns. “People watch AI videos for entertainment, but they cannot match the seriousness and authenticity of real videos. Yes, we are using it because it is a new trend, but AI videos always leave a question mark over the authenticity of the content,” said party spokesperson Parambans Singh Bunty Romana, who is also involved in the social media strategy.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Punjab say they are avoiding AI-generated political content and instead focusing on “real issues and videos on the ground.” Social media head Ajay Arora said the party is yet to leverage AI in its campaigning for the upcoming polls. “AI is good for entertainment, but it is far from reality. People are smart enough to differentiate between what is generated by AI and what is real.”
AAP spokesperson Neil Garg acknowledged both the potential and risks of AI, saying it should be used for constructive engagement rather than “character assassination.”
Kanwar Sandhu, a former AAP MLA and former editor, wrote in X: “Social media videos, fake reports, allegations and denials are blurring the line between truth and falsehood. It is extremely unfortunate that politics and society in Punjab has fallen to an all-time low. The 2027 Assembly polls are an opportunity to correct course, but what options are in front of the people?”
