Humans Behind AI Crafting the Future of Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is transforming the world in ways we never imagined. It’s reshaping industries, revolutionising how we work, and unlocking possibilities for economies worldwide. Yet, at the heart of this revolution are the people—the humans—driving these innovations.
As art directors for the Humans Behind AI campaign, we had the privilege of capturing the essence of this transformation. Our work, a collaborative effort with McKinsey's QuantumBlack AI team, started with an ambitious vision to showcase the human talent powering AI advancements. From conceptualising the campaign to selecting the design and editorial teams, we were deeply involved in crafting every narrative element, and we invite you to be part of this journey.
Rory Walsh
Our goal?
To tell the stories of those shaping AI for good. The Humans Behind AI are not just engineers or data scientists but visionaries driven by their passions and principles. They’re building "hybrid intelligence” where human insights combine with AI’s vast potential to create meaningful and sustainable impact.
Storytelling was key. We worked closely with individuals to understand the passions and values that fuel their work. By leading the interview process and supporting content creation, we helped bring these stories to life. Each interview revealed a deep commitment to ethical, trusted AI—a technology designed to uplift and serve humanity. These personal stories are what connect us all in this journey of AI.
One of the campaign's standout moments featured Aiden Gomez, CEO of Cohere. He and his co-founders were named #1 on Maclean’s 2023 AI Trailblazers Power List. His leadership, along with that of other global AI figures, illustrated the scale of innovation happening today.
Aiden Gomez, Founder Cohere
Our Founder, Slawo Urban, was the campaign photographer; “I had the incredible opportunity to travel to New York, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Singapore, Melbourne, Athens, and London, capturing the faces behind AI's breakthroughs. These portraits told the story of technological progress and the human minds driving it.”
Working with QuantumBlack AI, we launched the Humans Behind AI campaign in 2023/2024. This campaign highlights the true power of AI—its ability to merge with human intelligence to create a future where technology and humanity thrive together.
URL: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/how-we-help-clients/humans-behind-ai
All images are taken on a digital camera, not AI-generated and processed.
Photographer: Slawo Urban
