A talented digital artist whose work went viral on social media for his short artificial intelligence (AI) generated portraits of well-known personalities and futuristic landscapes has made the headlines again … this time with a short video depicting a Bahraini version of the hit US TV show, The Simpsons.
Mahmood Mohsin, a 25-year-old self-proclaimed ‘tech geek’ from Isa Town, utilised AI to recreate the opening of the beloved show … but with people in Bahraini attire in iconic locations across the country.
He stumbled upon AI around four years ago, when he came across an image generation tool, and he hasn’t looked back since. “I thought the technology back then was cool, but it felt primitive,” the Leeds Beckett University graduate told the GDN.
“I had fun with it and it kick-started my interest in AI, but it was not a huge thing back then.
“As the technology evolved, I became more immersed in it, using text-to-image generators to create things for my Instagram account.
“With time, I invested in new equipment and learned how to make portraits, and eventually, I started doing animation as well.”
In 2022, Mr Mohsin had his first taste of success with AI, with his portraits, earning him new followers and encouraging him to attempt to create an animation sharing his experiences and aspects of Bahraini life.
Although it ended up linked to one of America’s most beloved TV families, the original concept was much different. “It was actually supposed to be inspired by the ‘Back to the Future’ films,” said Mr Mohsin.
“I wanted to do the same thing, incorporate places that I personally loved in Bahrain, especially places I love to eat at. Unfortunately, that was too complex, so I needed to pivot to a new idea.
“I have been a fan of the Simpsons since I was a kid, so it just felt like a natural choice, since I especially love the simple yet iconic art style. Additionally, I saw parallels between the Simpsons, the community in the show and Bahrain itself, which is why I think it works so well.”
Mr Mohsin did face some technical challenges when it came to making the minute long video but after three days of trial and error was finally able to upload it last week on Instagram and TikTok to much acclaim.
“I had no idea that the video would go viral. Honestly, I am just glad people liked it. It was just something that I did for fun, and I am looking forward to seeing what else I can do with AI.”
Follow Mr Mohsin on Instagram @makimakesgames to view more of his work.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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