The arrival and rapid usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools has led to much debate. However, one aspect of AI which has quickly caught the attention of the world is its ability to craft and render accurate representations of different time periods, cities and cultures. The ability to properly use AI tools for this purpose is a skill which many are now in the process of learning, and it looks like 34-year-old Rahmatullah Mirbahar is fast becoming a master of it.

Mirbahar, a resident of Thatta, recently received great praise on a variety of social media platforms and local news channels for his beautiful AI imaginings of the city of Mohenjo Daro. The rich, vibrant pictures give us a glimpse into what Mohenjo Daro would have looked like during its heyday, from the 25th-19th century BCE, when it was an exciting, bustling city.

Mirbahar’s phone has not stopped ringing ever since his images became viral on the internet. “I always read about Mohenjo Daro in books,” he reveals, “but I really wanted to see what the great site would have looked like at that time. Then I realised that AI could help me visualise it.

“I used AI technology for the first time to try and bring this ancient civilisation to life. Since AI collects information on a whole host of topics from a variety of sources, I simply had to feed in the exact commands needed to render the images. Naturally, this is not a hundred percent accurate, but it is quite close!”

Rahmatullah Mirbahar’s Artificial Intelligence-generated images of Mohenjo Daro are more than just a viral sensation. They reveal just how much Pakistan has to gain if it embraces AI technology

An avid photographer, Mirbahar works primarily as a computer operator in the provincial health department. “I am also a professional photographer,” he says, “and I have done photography centred on Sindh’s heritage and ancient buildings. When I decided to use AI tools to depict Sindh’s ancient culture and heritage, the results turned out to be quite impressive. The truth is, if this technology can make such beautiful images of cities, buildings and societies, then why should I limit myself to photography? My skills can now extend beyond my camera.”

Mirbahar learnt how to use AI for this purpose by watching YouTube tutorials. The main roadblock confronting Mirbahar when using AI was that the information pertaining to Sindh and its cultural history was fairly limited online. The presence of Sindhi literature and texts is not only hard to come by online but even harder to try and feed into online AI tools.

In particular, freely available AI software is riddled with limitations. It is meant for beginners and has a small database, meaning that the final results are lacking in quality. In order to avoid this pitfall, Mirbahar is paying 60 dollars each month so that he can use more advanced AI software to make these images and hone his skills.

However, Mirbahar feels that this monetary investment will pay dividends in the future. According to him, “This is just the start of AI use in Pakistan. I am currently using AI to develop images of Bhambhore, a site famous for the story of Sassui Punnu, the Makli graveyard, and Harappa and Taxila. In the future, I intend to work on videography, filmmaking and animation as well.”

But, in order to actualise his upcoming projects, Mirbahar will need more advanced computers and professional training.  He is already receiving online training about the usage of AI, which serves as a testament to his dedication for this craft.

“In my early school days, when I first bought a computer,” Mirabahr says, “my parents discouraged me from getting it. They said it was a waste of money and that it would bring no benefit. However, I decided to keep working on the computer and develop my skills on it. It was simply my passion and no negativity, even from within my own home, was going to dampen my enthusiasm. When I first made the images of Mohenjo Daro, I was hesitant about sharing them online. However, the response since then has been amazing.”

More than four different AI programmes can be used for this purpose. Mirbahar has been using the software Midjourney for his AI images, which he is willing to pay for because the image results are high quality and the programme’s database is all-encompassing.

Mirbahar is the pioneer of AI image generation in Sindh and has opened the door for many exciting possibilities. Given the fact that AI technology is in its infancy, Mirbahar is at the forefront of what could prove to be a new technological and artistic frontier in Sindh and Pakistan. Many youngsters are already inspired by what Mirbahar has achieved and are rushing to jump aboard this exciting bandwagon.

“AI is a complex technology which we in Pakistan have very limited access to right now. Most economically developed countries not only have advanced AI technology but are investing significant money and resources into furthering its usage and application. The best thing about basic AI is its accessibility. It’s a level playing field because, as long as you are interested and have access to the internet, there is no reason why you can’t acquire this skill set.

“If you want to create images just for fun, then you can watch a few YouTube tutorials to make what you want. But if you want to become an expert, then you will need to work hard and be patient.”  

However, Mirbahar bemoans the ignorant attitude of the Sindh government when it comes to providing a technology-based education. “Our society lacks a scientific approach,” he laments. “Last year, a delegation from the Google team visited Sindh. The Sindh government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Google, which would facilitate the technological training of school children. The goal was to teach courses about the Google Digital Garage and cloud computing.  However, we have not seen any development or follow-up about this at any school since. It is our government’s job to make sure that our students learn these skills at an early age so that they can be of use later on.”

AI is not just limited to animation or image development. It can be used in the field of medicine and even in the agricultural sector. In Punjab, farmers are already using AI technology for better crop production and to gather data from tube wells.

Ali Hassan Mallah, a digital creator and app developer, believes that Pakistan should start thinking about adopting AI in more fields. “In a country like ours, AI could prove to be a great revolution on the financial, social and cultural fronts,” says Mallah.

“AI can help us read the Indus script. It can help decode it since deep learning is one of the main components of AI. Such developments can take place alongside a combination of software and hardware advancements, known as the Internet of Things [IoT]. As long as AI makes decisions to aid human comfort, it is a good thing. But if it starts to dictate decisions, then that could lead to chaos.”

Given the numerous benefits of having AI knowledge, Mirbahar is eager for the younger generation to learn AI usage, since they can earn a handsome amount of money if they become skilled enough. But, most importantly, effective usage of AI can help change the lives of millions.

For Mirbahar, his AI-generated images of Mohenjo Daro are just the start of his AI journey.

The writer is a Sindhi fiction writer, blogger and journalist. He can be reached at  akhterhafez@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 7th, 2023