Demonstrating the intersection of artificial intelligence and a reinterpretation of classic art, Delhi University student artist Rashi Pandey used generative AI tools to reimagine Leonardo Da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa painting as an Indian woman, replete in traditional Indian attire. The artwork, displayed on social media platform X, shows the Mona Lisa in a dress with a dupatta draped over her forehead, wearing Indian jewelry, including a maang tikka, earrings, and a statement necklace. Pandey’s post has so far received 1.6 thousand likes and 800 comments and was shared over 170 times.
“I made the Indian version of Mona Lisa using AI,’’ she announced in her post. “Give her a name.”
Viewers suggested names that illustrate the Indian adaption of the Mona Lisa, such as “Shona Lisa,” “Mona Tai,” and “Lisa Ben.” Other comments imagined how the masterpiece could look in different regional styles. Some comments went beyond the playful.
“To be frank, this is beautiful—more womanly than the original,” one viewer wrote. Sorry art connoisseurs, this is a layman’s opinion.” Perhaps inspired by the response, Pandey also posted an AI-created Indian version of Queen Elizabeth II on X and asked viewers which they preferred.
More than just a fun post, Pandey’s Indian Mona Lisa speaks to a larger debate about generative AI and its role in artmaking. AI is comprised of two elements: algorithms and data. Artists who create AI-generated art say it is a tool or extension of themselves that enables them to expand creative boundaries as they develop work. Many artists feel strongly that human involvement and influence are still essential to the creative process.
Hugh Leeman, an artist and lecturer who lectures at Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, and Colorado State University, has created a body of work, half from his own imagination and the other half with the help of AI.
Leeman believes AI tools can be used “to better our lives,” adding that he uses them “to create images based on people’s unique lived experiences told in stories embedded with their emotions and memories.” At the same time, however, he fears that “the coming generations will likely lose elements of agency of their creativity through the further merging of AI with humans in our social ecosystem as well as our physiology.”
Many artists are also concerned about AI being used for plagiarism. Their work is used to train algorithms, but it can also be copied using AI tools.
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