AI is rewriting our past for profit. But who owns our history—communities, or corporations?

Body of work:

It feels like yesterday when we were laughing at funny AI-only ads. Those unhinged videos that balanced the tightrope of the uncanny valley and humour were full of Dwayne Johnson eating rocks, Will Smith eating noodles, and that infamous soda commercial. 

Fast forward to today, and we see AI ads in a completely new light: the sleek designs, almost human-like smile, and authentic angles.

And while we were expecting AI-fication of marketing as a slow uphill climb, Jeevansathi’s latest campaign came in guns blazing. 

The ad featuring the 17th-century Mughal Empress as she walks along the halls of her palace, pining for modern-day apps as convenient connection makers, is making rounds on the internet. Many love the vibe and the aesthetic, but behind the veil of artificial romance lies a deeper question: Are we witnessing marketing innovation, or the commodification of cultural legacy for clicks and conversions?

What we’re seeing has been under speculation for a long time: Generative AI unlocking the ability to recreate faces, voices, and entire personas from the past, sometimes with uncanny realism. With a few prompts, historical figures can now be made to speak, smile, and emote as if they were alive today. For advertisers, this is a goldmine: it combines emotional appeal with viral novelty, turning centuries-old icons into clickable, shareable content. 

Why build a story from scratch when you can revive a familiar one with AI polish and digital charm? 

These campaigns can be persuasive, even poetic. But scratch the surface, and you’ll find the problem: What does it mean to resurrect cultural icons for brand engagement? When marketers speak through the faces of our ancestors or cultural icons, the result may be less about honouring history and more about packaging it. 

The question isn’t whether AI can do it, it’s whether it should. And at what cost?

Cultural Heritage ≠Creative License 

Cultural heritage isn’t creative license. It’s not a brand asset; it’s a collective inheritance of societies. It’s woven from centuries of spiritual meaning, political struggles, and communal memory. Iconic figures like Mumtaz Mahal don’t exist in isolation; they carry emotional and cultural weight for communities shaped by history and identity. 

When advertisers reanimate historical icons via AI, there’s a real danger of flattening complex narratives into glossy marketing soundbites, stripping away their layered significance.

What Responsibility Do Brands Hold?

With AI-driven Advertising, we see a complete lack of cultural consultation. Brands tend to skip the most important part, talking with the communities tied to the historical figures. 

Ethical advertising could look very different:

• Use fictional characters inspired by history, rather than resurrecting real historical voices.
• Partner with historians, cultural institutions, or affected communities to ensure narrative accuracy and respect.
• Simply use a disclaimer like “This is an AI-generated depiction, not a literal historical account”.

Creativity isn’t the problem—it’s carelessness. Without thoughtful framing and community engagement, AI storytelling can slip from innovation into insensitive appropriation, turning public heritage into private profit.

When advertisers resurrect the past for clicks and conversions, they risk trading cultural memory for market value. What starts as innovation can quickly blur into exploitation when history is stylised but not understood.

As AI continues to evolve, so must our sense of ethical storytelling. Who gets to speak for the dead? Who owns the right to reimagine legacies that belong to many? And what responsibility do brands bear when they transform sacred memory into selling points? With Jeevansathi’s ad, the floodgates are open. Brands now face a choice: honour the past, or mine it. What they choose will define the future of ethical storytelling.

The past is not for sale. At least, it shouldn’t be.

By Sushrut Tewari

A writer covering trends, innovation, and brand storytelling in India and beyond.

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