AI Generated Media Content and Construction of National and Cultural Identity: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This research was aimed at exploring the issues of AI generated media content and how they influence the development of national and cultural identities in Pakistan, a postcolonial, multiethnic, nation in the process of heading to digital transformation and with ethnic pluralism and religious sensities. Using a qualitative methodology based on critical discourse analysis, the study used samples of 150 synthetic artifacts such as deepfakes, generative images, and AI curated pictures found on sites X and Startup Pakistan in 2023-25. The results have shown that AI created images that promote national unity, especially during voting campaigns and commemoration occasions, by enhancing the state narratives with symbols of hyperreality, i.e. flags and historical heroes. Nonetheless, the dynamics of cultural identity demonstrates the urge towards homogenization, where regional traditions have been diluted or overshadowed by a major Islam Pakistani system, and deepfakes and fake news campaigns are a great force that worsens ethnic conflict and authenticity. This learning has identified the dual identity that AI plays in the empowerment and breakdown of identity formation where governance of AI needs to be based on ethical contexts. The article advances the field of media studies, cultural anthropology, and AI ethics through the theorization of algorithmic nationalism in the Global South and proposing an inclusive dataset and a regulatory approach to safeguard cultural diversity and reduce the negative effects of representational in a world of growing generative technologies.