Observed Signal · Jul 15, 2026 · Interview · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Omar Karim on AI as an Instrument for Filmmaking
Interview with AI filmmaker Omar Karim on how generative AI has reshaped creative production. Karim, who has worked across advertising and technology for more than 13 years, argues that AI should be treated as an instrument rather than a tool, enabling new storytelling possibilities that brands and filmmakers must learn to exploit. He describes projects (including AI-powered music videos) and workflows that use models from OpenAI and others to research culture, generate scenes, and iterate creative variants at scale. Karim predicts the emergence of AI-native formats and playable "world models," highlights the easing of copyright and enterprise protections from major labs, and says he is working on short films, interactive AI installations, and a music video inside a world model.
Provides insight into how generative AI is changing creative production and storytelling approaches for brands and agencies; useful for creative teams but not a major platform policy or technical release.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Omar Karim is an AI creative director, filmmaker and image-maker with more than 13 years' experience across advertising and technology.
- Karim's recent AI filmmaking work includes the AI-powered music video 'Bus Stop Please' (Fatboy Slim & Daniel Steinberg), Gabriels' 'Great Wind' and Ada Kaleh's 'Unravelling'.
- Karim used an OpenAI reasoning model to research West London culture when developing work for the brand Boxfresh.
- Karim says major labs are now offering indemnities, enterprise protections and data controls, reducing some client legal concerns about copyright.
- He is currently working on a short film with Dreamina, interactive AI installations, VFX tools, and a music video inside a world model.
Connected Companies & Entities
6 Entities mapped“Omar Karim ... has spent more than 13 years working across advertising and technology, including projects for Nike, Burberry, Prada, Beats b...”
“Omar Karim ... has spent more than 13 years working across advertising and technology, including projects for Nike, Burberry, Prada, Beats b...”
“Omar Karim ... has spent more than 13 years working across advertising and technology, including projects for Nike, Burberry, Prada, Beats b...”
“So I used one of OpenAI’s reasoning models almost like an ethnographic researcher. I got it to explore decades of West London culture......”
“At Cannes, Google showed me one of its world models. You type in a prompt, and suddenly you’ve got a playable world....”
“We were talking to the wearables team at Meta about that. What if a film wasn’t 12 minutes long? What if it only played while you walked?...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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Omar Karim's AI-first Reinvention of Boxfresh
The Drum profiles director Omar Karim’s AI-first production for heritage streetwear brand Boxfresh, commissioned after Luke Hodson acquired the brand in 2025. Karim used an advanced AI model and AI agents to conduct rapid ethnographic research and generate visuals, then applied human curation — including cultural consultant Steve Bryden and the Boxfresh team — to ensure historical and cultural authenticity. The resulting branded short film blends surreal, folded visuals with archival detail; VFX/animation/editing was credited to Brainclub 5000 and music to Audio Network. Karim emphasizes that the workflow mirrored conventional filmmaking (treatment, mood boards, rounds of feedback) and that AI increased creative possibility but also incurred significant token and human costs.
Native Foreign Founder Defends AI in Advertising
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Documentary examines AI's impact on creative work
The Drum has produced a documentary series, The Creative Machine, in partnership with Adobe that explores how generative AI is changing creative work in advertising. The series gathers senior creative leaders including Sir Martin Sorrell, David Droga, Susan Credle and Rachel Thornton to debate whether AI replaces or amplifies human creativity. Many interviewees argue AI amplifies creativity but raises questions about differentiation if everyone uses the same tools, the potential homogenization of work, and whether the industry will retain the human skills it automates. The series mixes industry commentary with the author’s personal experience managing teams adopting AI.
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