AI-generated video falsely linked to unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir
- Published on July 21, 2026 at 10:31
- 2 min read
- By Ayesha MIRZA, AFP Pakistan
Dozens were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in clashes between anti-government protesters and police ahead of a regional election in July 2026, but a video circulating online does not show the demonstrations. It shows visual signs it was fabricated, while Google's detection tool has flagged it was made with the tech giant's AI model.
"Kashmir has neither bowed to oppression, nor will it bow to the laws of coercion," reads part of an Urdu-language caption of a Facebook video shared on July 9.
The 16-second clip appears to show soldiers -- some armed, others atop a tank -- shooting at a crowd.
Supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an anti-government movement demanding economic and governance reforms, have been pressing ahead with protests despite the group being banned under anti-terrorism laws in June, allegedly for threatening public order and security (archived link).
Dozens have been killed in the protests, which came ahead of a vote for the region's legislative assembly on July 27.
Residents struggle to find food and other crucial supplies as protests, sit-ins and business strikes have paralysed daily life. Sardar Waheed, the top civilian official in the city of Rawalakot -- which has been a focal point of the unrest -- told AFP on July 9 that deadly clashes between police and civilians had broken out when a convoy of food trucks carrying supplies to the region came across roadblocks (archived link).
Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, but has been divided between the two countries since their independence from British rule in 1947.
The video has also circulated on TikTok and Instagram, but it was actually made with AI and is not linked to the protests.
It contains visual anomalies such as human figures that appear to merge as they run away from the security forces firing at them. Some of the security personnel also appear to point their rifles at their colleagues in an unnatural way.
Google's SynthID Detector has flagged the video was made using the company's AI tools.
AFP has debunked other misinformation about Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
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