AI-Driven Misinformation Reshapes Digital Landscape in 2025, CEJ Report Finds

Pakistan’s AI-Led Misinformation Reaching Critical Levels, Study Finds

The Centre of Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) has issued a stark warning about the escalating threat of AI-driven misinformation in Pakistan. According to a comprehensive report released Monday, 2025 marked a watershed moment in the proliferation of sophisticated deepfakes and misleading content across the country’s information ecosystem.

The two-year study, conducted between December 2023 and November 2025, analyzed 1,026 potentially false claims, with 513 subjected to rigorous verification. The investigation examined misinformation across several domains including politics, religion, conflicts, and social issues, revealing disturbing patterns in how falsehoods spread and gain traction.

Azhar Abbas, Chairperson of the CEJ Advisory Board, highlighted a troubling correlation between media restrictions and misinformation during the report launch. “When mainstream media is silenced, the vacuum is quickly filled by unverified social media content, anonymous platforms, and AI-driven networks,” Abbas said, emphasizing how constraints on traditional journalism have created fertile ground for disinformation to flourish.

The report identifies politics as the most exploited arena for misinformation. False narratives were systematically deployed to undermine electoral confidence during Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, discredit political opponents, and erode public trust in state institutions.

Notably, the study traced significant misinformation to supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Indian disinformation networks. However, it also implicated the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and government officials in propagating misleading content, suggesting the problem cuts across political divisions.

Shahzeb Jillani, CEJ Director, described the double-edged nature of artificial intelligence technology. While acknowledging AI’s beneficial applications in medicine, commerce, and agriculture, he emphasized its troubling capacity to generate and amplify misinformation at unprecedented scale and sophistication.

“The challenge we face isn’t just technological—it’s societal,” Jillani explained. “To effectively counter this growing tide of misinformation, we must expand verification initiatives through partnerships with media organizations, academic institutions, and public bodies.”

The iVerify Pakistan project, launched in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ahead of the 2024 elections, has emerged as a critical bulwark against digital misinformation. The platform’s work underscores the sophisticated tactics deployed by misinformation networks, including half-truths, distorted context, deliberate mistranslations, impersonation of journalists, and increasingly sophisticated AI-generated content.

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar acknowledged in video remarks that the complexity and scale of disinformation now pose existential challenges to national stability. “Misinformation cannot be addressed by government alone,” Tarar stated, expressing the government’s readiness to support credible, impartial fact-checking initiatives.

IBA Karachi Director S. Akbar Zaidi highlighted how regional tensions and civil unrest create particularly vulnerable moments for misinformation spread. Referencing developments in neighboring Iran, he emphasized the critical importance of reliable verification mechanisms during periods of heightened uncertainty.

The report identifies social media platform X (formerly Twitter) as the primary vector for misinformation amplification, while noting the invisible yet significant role of encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp in shaping public opinion. These closed networks remain largely impervious to oversight, creating blind spots in efforts to track and counter false information.

As Pakistan grapples with this evolving threat landscape, the CEJ report serves as both warning and call to action. With AI technology becoming increasingly accessible and sophisticated, the study suggests that collaborative, multi-sector approaches to verification and media literacy will be essential to preserving information integrity in Pakistan’s digital public square.