It began, as many things do these days, with a curious prompt, to draw an Anjolie Ela Menon-style portrait, but with a dinosaur. Within seconds, a vivid painting appeared with Menon’s signature female figure draped in a traditional sari, but this time, she was juxtaposed with a prehistoric beast! At 90, Menon herself marvelled at the image her son had created using generative AI. ‘It was amazing,’ she said, but quickly raised a pertinent question, “Will the artist stop painting and ask AI to do it?’
For women artists especially, India’s art ecosystem is shifting fast. The world of crafts, folk murals, exhibitions, and hand-painted canvases is being routed through algorithms now. What does that mean for the women whose creative labour built these traditions and who now face a new digital frontier?
Harnessing The Power Of AI
A 2024 NDTV feature explored how AI platforms helped 23 artisan-led businesses, many of which were women-led, scale block printing, Chikankari embroidery, Kantha, and leather craft across markets. AI algorithms matched artisans to projects, ensured transparency, and even optimised raw material sourcing. Among over 5,500 artisans, many women saw a 10 per cent increase in revenue, a 50 per cent reduction in production costs, and 82 per cent gained access to new markets.
Meanwhile, exhibitions across India are spotlighting technology-based art. The Lucknow show Novembre Numerique used AI-powered apps to animate static works, deeply impressing visitors. In Pune, rangoli artists used AI to visualise complex designs before drawing them freehand. In rural Odisha, young women like Chandrama and Moumita swapped low-paying village work for AI-powered voice and text annotation projects supporting local language datasets. Now that they are paid 20 times more than the minimum wage, they can earn significantly more while promoting culture digitally.
Women graphic storytellers, webcomic artists, typographers, and illustrators have long battled underrepresentation. Now, in collectives like the Kadak Collective, they are introduced to AI, enabling them to experiment with gifs, and digital animations that reach online festivals and international audiences. Other artisan platforms like Bare Craft, led by women tech founders, are using AI to connect female-led craft groups in Rajasthan with urban and international buyers, improving income while preserving traditional textiles. These initiatives have helped thousands of women achieve economic independence by supplementing their craft with digital reach.
Tradition-based artists are innovating with AI. Even AI-generated mehndi designs allow women to choose, customise, and digitally preview designs, blending heritage patterns with technology.
The Downsides Of AI
However, AI often reinforces typecasts. One Delhi artist used Midjourney to generate portraits of Indian women based on stereotypes. North Indian women looked fair and regal, while South Indian women appeared darker with specific features, sparking debates on digital profiling with prejudice.
Indian artists such as music icons like Kavita Krishnamurti are concerned that AI blurs authenticity, making it harder to judge real artistic voice and diminishing the weight of their craft honed over decades. This applies to most women artists across creative streams who have achieved brilliance and success without the use of technology.
The Way Forward
Now that AI is here to stay, India needs training, mentorship, and access programs for women artisans across the country by government bodies, institutes, and NGOs. These include AI-art fellowships for women in cities and villages, equipping them with technical fluency and curatorial tools. We also need robust policies addressing AI misuse such as deepfakes, consent, and digital harassment. Clear guidelines on copyright, usage rights, and moral licensing must protect women creators. Future shows and art exhibitions could integrate AI driven pieces by women artists, ensuring digital art receives parity with other forms of art. Museums and festivals should commission women-led AI artworks, bridging tradition and technology to broaden narratives and visibility.
In India’s creative ecosystem, AI is not a threat or opportunity, but an interaction of both, especially for women. On the one hand, it offers upliftment through innovative business models, creative freedom, global visibility. On the other hand, it surfaces real threats like misrepresentation and misuse.
The challenge lies in shaping a future where AI tools are co-designed with the consent of a woman artist, and stay culturally aware. To amplify the voices of women who create Indian art and crafts, all stakeholders must invest in ethical AI, inclusive policy, and nurturing support systems.
Anusha Mani, playback singer and performer, recently emphasised that AI cannot replicate the emotional connection of genuine human art. ‘Art brings people together, AI can't replace that,’ she affirmed. A broader sentiment among India’s creative women remains clear: AI should be a collaborator, not a conqueror.