Infowarfare: Pakistan uses AI deep fakes of Indian military leaders to spread misinformation

Pakistan has been using sophisticated AI-generated deep fake videos of India’s military leadership and exaggerating its own naval capabilities to spread misinformation. Many of these videos have been posted by anonymous accounts, but linked to Pakistan - location, comments, etc.

In recent weeks, a deepfake video circulated widely on social media showing India’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, apparently criticising the government and admitting operational losses during Operation Sindoor. India’s Deepfakes Analysis Unit confirmed that the entire audio track was synthetic. Another manipulated clip targeted the Director General of Naval Operations, falsely depicting internal disputes over deployment decisions.

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Last week, another deepfake showed Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi seemingly talking about a custodial death case, and had a WION logo in the video. India’s fact-checking unit, PIB Fact Check unit, immediately declared: “This fake video has been created using AI technology. The Chief of the Army Staff has made NO such statement.” Circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts, the video seeks to incite unrest and discredit Indian institutions, highlighting rising AI misuse in geopolitical misinformation campaigns.

The deepfake surge coincided with Pakistan’s test of a ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile last week. The official statement has no details of range, speed or seeker performance other than a mutual set of congratulations by the Pakistani military and the political leadership. Within hours, pro-Pakistan accounts flooded platforms with enhanced and doctored versions claiming an “800 km hypersonic strike” and “carrier-kill capability,” claims never endorsed by Islamabad’s military directly.

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Similarly, during the May Operation Sindoor maritime deployment, India fielded several warships, including an aircraft carrier group across the Arabian Sea, while Pakistan’s navy stayed largely near Karachi. Yet online, manipulated footage portrayed Indian vessels destroyed and Pakistani forces dominant.

India retains undisputed conventional naval superiority over Pakistan, but the systematic use of AI-generated media shows another battlefront emerging, one on the virtual front that requires continuous alert.