New Delhi, October 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has reportedly stepped up its use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create fake audio and video clips of its chief Masood Azhar, in an attempt to revive its declining recruitment following heavy losses during Operation Sindoor.
According to intelligence assessments, the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda were among the first terror organisations to adapt their operations to AI, with the Islamic State emerging as the quickest to exploit the technology. Al-Qaeda is also catching up, while Pakistan-based outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JeM have largely continued to rely on conventional methods of communication and mobilisation.
Indian intelligence agencies have now learnt that JeM is making a major push to use AI-generated audio and video content. Officials believe the move became necessary after the outfit’s top leadership largely stayed away from public appearances following Operation Sindoor last year.
An Intelligence Bureau official said recruitment, particularly within JeM, had hit a major roadblock after the operation. The outfit has faced several setbacks since Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam attack, in which several tourists were killed.
During the operation, JeM’s headquarters in Bahawalpur was destroyed, while several cadres, including close family members of Masood Azhar, were killed.
With Azhar largely absent from public view, the outfit’s recruitment efforts have suffered. Many potential recruits had begun questioning his whereabouts and were reluctant to join an organisation whose leader they believed was no longer active.
“Moreover, several audio and video clips that were circulated to boost both the morale as well as recruitments were called out as old and recycled. This led to the Jaish deciding to use AI extensively to change the narrative,” the official said.
JeM has since been preparing AI-generated audio and video clips intended to project Azhar as active and back in command. The material reportedly portrays a rejuvenated Azhar making calls for recruitment and jihad against India.
Another official said the earlier audio and video material was easily identified as recycled because many people had already seen the clips.
With advances in AI and technology, ordinary cadres and potential recruits may find it difficult to distinguish genuine material from fabricated content.
“The push has been exclusively made to the slightly uneducated cadres and recruits. This is deliberate as these persons do not have the capabilities of running fact checks or verifying the authenticity of the clips,” the official said.
Another official said JeM’s primary objective was to revive its recruitment drive.
According to the official, people approached for recruitment in recent months have either shown reluctance or refused to join the outfit. They have reportedly sought proof that Azhar remains active, questions that recruiters have been unable to answer convincingly.
For existing cadres and potential recruits, Azhar remains a central figure. His absence, officials said, has affected both cadre morale and the outfit’s recruitment efforts.
The AI campaign is reportedly being planned not only for audiences in Pakistan but also for rural areas of India. For the Indian audience, the videos are expected to be tailored to different regions and produced in their respective languages.
Officials said JeM was deliberately targeting people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and rural communities, where awareness of generative AI and related technologies is perceived to be limited.
The outfit wants to maintain cadre morale and significantly increase recruitment while preparing for a leadership transition, an official said. Azhar, who is reportedly not in good health, is believed to be incapable of leading the organisation from the front.
Through AI-generated videos, JeM hopes to strengthen its recruitment campaign and buy time until it identifies a replacement for Azhar, the official added.
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