Diego Flórez, AI Creative Director, Core42Core42, a G42 company specialising in sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, is part of the UAE’s fast-growing AI ecosystem, building cloud platforms and high-performance compute that power everything from generative AI to enterprise-scale systems. In April, Core42 introduced a new kind of role to the region, AI Creative Director. Like many creatives in the region, Diego’s path was not linear.
He began in computer engineering before moving into industrial design and then advertising, and now he’s back in tech. In a way, this feels like coming full circle, he says, highlighting how hybrid skills are increasingly valuable in an AI-first world.
Six months in, Diego Flórez shares what he’s learned so far, and what the role means for creatives and for the industry.
Laying the foundations for an AI-first brand
The early focus has been on foundations that any company entering this space will need. That includes scalable creative systems, the integration of AI tools into workflows, and brand storytelling that keeps pace with technology.
These months have been about learning, listening, and laying the groundwork for something bigger. This is happening as the UAE positions itself as one of the world’s most active AI hubs, with record-scale data centers, sovereign cloud platforms, and initiatives like Jais and Falcon.
That growth creates demand for creativity not just in campaigns, but in how people understand and trust AI. For regional talent, it means a rare chance to shape projects with global impact.
The role involves embedding generative AI into communications, a challenge every brand experimenting with AI is facing. From mentoring AI-fluent creatives to scaling automated, fast-cycle content production, the aim is to combine speed and consistency with storytelling that still feels human.
Practical takeaways for creatives in the region
If you are a creative looking at AI, here are some starting points:
- Learn promptcraft. Treat it like a language. Test, iterate, and document what works. Follow AI artists, listen to podcasts, keep track of new launches, and test them as they arrive. Build your own library of references and study them. “Steal like an Artist” has never been more useful than it is today.
- Understand the basics of AI infrastructure. You do not need to be an engineer, but knowing how data, models, and compute shape outcomes will help you create work that is realistic and impactful.
- Work in multidisciplinary teams. The traditional copywriter and art director team is outdated. Today, both can write and design with the tools available. The most exciting campaigns will come from small teams that blur roles and bring in the right mix of skills for each project, from creatives to engineers to data experts.
- Measure and refine. Treat AI like any other creative process: draft, test, and polish. Check for brand consistency, creative quality, and audience response, then feed those learnings back into the next round.
- Stay ethical and human-first. Tools evolve fast, but values matter. Keep people at the center by hiring, collaborating, and giving people proper credit. AI should expand opportunities, not replace them.
As the field grows, more creatives will follow, and they should. This space urgently needs their ideas, their storytelling, and their craft. AI is vast, and there’s room for all of us. Just make sure you’re not left behind.
Creativity with people at the centre
For all the talk about machines, the real differentiator is people. AI is powerful, but what makes it meaningful is how we use it. It is not about replacing creativity. It is about amplifying it.
Behind every prompt, every visual, and every message, there is still a team of talented humans making it work.
AI is here to expand what we can do, but it is people who give that work meaning.
A shift for the region
This shift is bigger than one role or one company. Across the UAE, AI is reshaping what it means to be creative, opening new career paths, new types of collaboration, and new opportunities for regional talent to play on a global stage.
For creatives, the message is clear: the region is not just catching up, it’s helping set the pace for the future of creativity. AI is not closing doors, it’s opening new ones.
By Diego Flórez, AI Creative Director, Core42
