The capabilities of artificial intelligence may not extend to physically freeing someone from prison, but they can certainly make someone appear as though they’re a free man — as demonstrated by a viral video featuring the mayor of Tirana, the capital of Albania. Erion Veliaj, currently behind bars, caused a stir with a video showing him seated at a desk, reaffirming his commitment to providing free school meals for all children in Tirana. The video was posted on Instagram with a clear label indicating it was AI-generated. The 46-year-old appears in front of the Albanian flag and the municipal flag, speaking about the work of his administration and renewing his promise to provide food in schools. “I made one more promise I will never forget: food in schools. I will keep this promise even from this cell where they have locked me up,” says the AI-rendered likeness of Veliaj.
Albania: Mayor denies all charges
The mayor of Tirana, who has been held at Durrës Prison since early 2025 as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption and financial crimes, denies all charges. In the video, he emphasizes that he has been imprisoned for the past 20 months and that AI is now his only means of addressing the public. He also states that he intends to continue working even from behind bars. Effectively, Veliaj remains the official mayor of Tirana. Following his arrest and pre-trial detention, early municipal elections had been scheduled for last November. However, they were cancelled at the last moment after the Constitutional Court ruled that Veliaj could not be removed from office outside of the established democratic procedures.
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During his detention, Veliaj has delegated his responsibilities to deputy mayors, yet he officially remains the mayor of Tirana. The next municipal elections are expected to take place in the first half of 2027.
This is not the first time a politician has used artificial intelligence to address the public while under detention. In 2023, imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan used an AI-generated video to urge citizens to vote for his party.
In July, an AI avatar of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro appeared at the launch of his son Flávio’s presidential campaign. Bolsonaro is under house arrest and is prohibited from participating in electoral events or making related public appearances.
