G42
Creating the blueprint for intelligent storytelling
G42’s vision is bold: to build a world where AI is embedded into everyday life – as ubiquitous and essential as electricity. It calls this The Intelligence Grid.
As a global AI leader, backed by an ecosystem of nine pioneering companies, G42 knows how important it is to move fast. It is a driving force behind the UAE’s ambition to become an AI-first nation, which is feeling more and more real (check out Ben’s blog to find out more about that).
We were tasked with taking G42’s concept for The Intelligence Grid and turning it into a rich, AI-powered storytelling environment that connects enabling technologies to real-world human impact.
The pressure was on. The experience was set to debut at GITEX GLOBAL, one of the biggest tech exhibitions in the world. And The Intelligence Grid would be displayed not only by G42, but by its partners including Microsoft, too.
Challenge accepted
The Intelligence Grid wasn’t new territory for us. In 2024, we partnered with G42 to build the first iteration: an award-winning, 3D, city-based interactive experience that embodied G42’s commitment to AI as the world’s first superutility.
But this time the challenge was different. G42 wanted to create a dynamic, scalable experience that had AI at its heart. Not only that, the business had recently launched a new brand positioning; our highly immersive, multimedia experience needed to mirror this visual and verbal identity.
Most importantly, The Intelligence Grid 2.0 experience had to demonstrate the company’s steadfast ambition: to become a responsible AI powerhouse driving the UAE’s transformation into a global innovation hub.
Impact first
We began by rethinking the structure of the experience. We moved away from the original layered 3D cityscape to design a sleek, web-native framework.
We focused this around a narrative mechanism called the “impact algorithm”, which maps technology enablers, such as energy and compute, cloud and foundational models, to their impact in the real world.
These impact algorithms highlight specific industry contexts and solutions across the different G42 businesses, and tell compelling stories that explore the human outcome of technology advances.
We also introduced "commitments" – themes including responsible AI, sustainability and equitable AI – that would anchor the experience in G42’s purpose, not just technological progress.
Building stories that feel alive
Guided by G42’s refreshed brand, we then shaped the narrative and visual language.
We worked with all 10 companies in the G42 group to understand the nuances of their AI solutions, and harmonised the messaging to ensure the platform’s content had a strong, unified voice.
To explore the impact algorithms visually, we decided to use AI to create dynamic 3D videos that would make the experience feel interactive – and more alive.
AI-powered production
AI didn’t just power the visual storytelling – it powered the production process itself.
Once the architecture and narrative framework were in place, we moved into full production: building, testing, refining and creating an AI-driven storytelling engine that could scale to our challenge.
We deployed AI across every aspect of the project. This began with coding a bespoke content management system to host the experience.
We also used AI to power our video generation pipeline: creating AI images, turning them into 3D models, before animating them on green screens. Through this process we created thousands of videos, in a few minutes each time. Manually, this would have taken hours per video. We then curated a selection of around 170 videos to feature in The Intelligence Grid.
Ultimately, with AI we were not only able to work with the speed and flexibility needed to meet our tight deadline, but make better creative choices, too.
Where AI meets people
The Intelligence Grid 2.0 featured across six screens at Dubai’s GITEX event in October.
Visitors were able to explore an interactive environment where G42’s stories unfold in real time, illustrating how technologies like cloud and compute translate into life-changing outcomes.
It now lives as a flexible, online platform that can be easily updated, used across the G42 group for both awareness and engagement.
More than a digital experience, it has become a flagship expression of G42’s commitment to responsible, human-centered AI leadership – and a testament to what’s possible when AI is used not just as subject, but as producer.
Chris Beavis, Partner, BD and Digital, says:
“Our partnership with G42 is giving us a front-row seat to the birth of the infrastructure of intelligence. Through The Intelligence Grid, we are helping G42 to tell this story and demonstrating how the global journey towards an AI-powered future is unfolding.”