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Mona Lisa rapping: Microsoft’s new AI app makes iconic painting sing, viral video surprises people

“DaVinci is rolling in his grave,” joked an X user while reacting to a video of Microsoft’s new AI app making Mona Lisa rap.

Published on: Apr 20, 2024, 10:31:19 IST
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A video of the Mona Lisa, the iconic painting by Leonardo da Vinci, rapping like a pro has taken over social media. If you ask yourself, ‘What on Earth is happening?’, let us clear up your confusion. It is all because of Microsoft’s new AI app, VASA-1. This product can transform the still photos of people’s faces into lively animation.

The image, taken from a video created using Microsoft's new AI app VASA-1, shows Mona Lisa rapping. (Screengrab)
The image, taken from a video created using Microsoft's new AI app VASA-1, shows Mona Lisa rapping. (Screengrab)

Originally posted on Microsoft’s official website, the video has gone viral on social media. Here’s an X post that captures Mona Lisa’s rapping.

Since being shared, the AI-generated video has gone crazy viral. Till now, it has accumulated over seven million views - and the numbers are still increasing. The share has further collected tons of comments from people.

What did X users say about this AI video?

“The Mona Lisa clip had me rolling on the floor laughing,” shared an X user.

“Mona Lisa rapping Paparazzi is wild,” added another.

“DaVinci is rolling in his grave,” joked a third.

“This is crazy, man,” joined a fourth.

“The Mona Lisa one is unbelievable, haha,” posted a fifth.

“Oh, man. If only Da Vinci could witness this,” wondered a sixth.

“Cool demo! But very soon, people will have difficulty telling a real person from a fake one just by watching video content. This will bring a huge amount of fraud and scams on the Internet. It is now imperative to pioneer novel methods to restore and fortify trust in the age of AI,” wrote a seventh.

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According to Microsoft's official website, VASA is a “framework for generating lifelike talking faces of virtual characters with appealing visual affective skills”.

The premiere model, VASA-1, can produce lip movements that synchronise with the audio besides capturing a “large spectrum of facial nuances and natural head motions”.

Regarding when this app will be available to the public, Microsoft wrote, “We have no plans to release an online demo, API, product, additional implementation details, or any related offerings until we are certain that the technology will be used responsibly and in accordance with proper regulations.”

What are your thoughts on this video of Mona Lisa rapping?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More