Artificial intelligence is often viewed in terms of disruption. Abu Dhabi is increasingly focused on integration.
For James Garde, this difference became apparent during his time in the Emirates as part of an arts fellowship focused on AI. A Seattle filmmaker whose work marries motion capture and AI-powered visual transformations says he’s found an environment that combines technical ambition with cultural intent.
“You get a lot of fresh air,” he says. The National. “It’s incredible to come to a place where you can be passionate about the advancement of technology, but also think about how it ties into art and history.”
Gherde is part of a group of artists and engineers exploring the meaning of artificial intelligence through the AI x Arts Fellowship, a one-year program at the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. The program combines technical experimentation with philosophical discussion and cultural immersion.
Participants will spend time in Abu Dhabi, collaborating with researchers, engaging with institutions, and developing projects that respond to the rapid structural changes shaping modern life.
For Gjerde, whose work lies at the intersection of filmmaking, motion capture, and AI, the experience offered something different than what he encountered in the United States.
“I’m from Seattle, which is big on technology,” he says. “But as much as people are pushing boundaries and trying to create new things in an open and exploratory way, it’s not really from scratch.”
The key difference, he argues, is the level of collaboration between sectors. “The whole country is behind it. The government is behind it. Everyone wants to see technological advances and move into the future, but they don’t want to forget the past.”
That approach is evident throughout the fellowship, with as much emphasis on cultural dialogue as on technological development. Alongside their time at MBZUAI, fellows will be introduced to facilities across the emirate, from the Louvre Abu Dhabi to immersive art spaces such as Zayed National Museum and teamLab.
“It wasn’t just about experiencing the culture,” Gjerde said. “It was about asking, how can we use this technology to tell these stories in a meaningful way?”
For an artist whose work is rooted in movement and abstraction, the question closely aligns with his own practice. Gjerde started his career in the film industry shooting music videos and working at live events before discovering early open source AI tools.
“We start with the actual movement,” he explains. “That’s the basis of everything. Then we built the scene around it. The AI comes in at the end, mainly retexturing and reshaping what’s already there.”
The results often include figures that appear to be made of water, paper, or organic materials, moving through carefully constructed digital spaces. Despite the technology involved, Gjerde describes the process as deeply intentional and well-established in traditional filmmaking techniques.
“I use a lot of the same compositing and VFX pipelines,” he says. “The difference is that AI is the final step in achieving the look.”
Much of his work focuses on dance, particularly ballet and modern forms, and he considers dance to be a universal language.
“Dance is a very expressive form of movement,” he says. “Anyone from any background can look at it and understand something. I strive to create work that feels calm and relatable, especially now that there is so much overwhelming content online.”
That sense of balance also influences his views on the broader debate around AI and creativity, which is becoming increasingly polarized.
“Whenever new media comes out, there’s always a backlash,” he says. “Art naturally creates conversation. Not everyone likes that.”
He believes much of the resistance stems from uncertainty rather than the technology itself. “People see headlines about AI taking jobs and changing everything, and it can be scary if you don’t understand that.”
At the same time, we acknowledge that there are concerns about authorship and remuneration, particularly regarding the use of training data and existing creative works.
“People should be rewarded for what they do,” he says. “But I think it’s important to separate that from the idea of art itself. People have always created to express something, not just for profit.”
For Gerde, one of the most valuable aspects of the Abu Dhabi Fellowship was the opportunity to address these questions in a structured, interdisciplinary environment. The program encourages fellows to experiment with new tools and also participate in discussions about their social and ethical implications.
There is also a focus on public engagement, with participants contributing to talks, workshops, and collaborations across the city’s cultural ecosystem.
This outward-looking approach reflects a broader ambition to integrate AI into everyday life, not just as a specialized tool, but as a widely understood and accessible technology.
“We’re still at a stage where a lot of people might know about something like ChatGPT, but they don’t really know how to use it in their daily lives,” Gerde says.
He expects the situation to change as the education system adapts. “AI literacy will be taught in schools just like digital literacy. The next generation will grow up learning AI literacy from the beginning.”
Concerns about misinformation and synthetic media remain part of the conversation, especially as AI-generated images and videos become more persuasive. Gerde points to ongoing efforts such as watermarking and metadata tracking, but suggests that public awareness is just as important.
“Right now, most AI content is still identifiable if you know what to look for,” he says. “Over time, people will become better aware of what is true and what is not.”
This is a perspective shaped by both optimism and realism, and one that sees AI as an extension of creative practice, rather than a replacement for it.
“It’s not about replacing anything,” he says. “It’s about bringing everything together: technology, art, history, culture. That’s what’s interesting about it.”
