By: Injy Tarek&nbsp;
Egyptian social media was set ablaze when Lammet Zaman, an AI-generated video, took viewers on a mesmerizing journey through time. Featuring digitally revived Egyptian cinema legends, the video wasn&rsquo;t a promo, nor an advertisement&mdash;it was a pure celebration of nostalgia, bridging generations with a seamless fusion of technology and emotion. But Lammet Zaman is just the beginning.
Ailand, the AI-driven media studio behind the project, is already working on its next bold venture: an AI-human hybrid podcast. &ldquo;We want to change how people consume podcasts,&rdquo; said Salah Selim, executive producer. &ldquo;Half of it will be AI-generated, and the other half will be human-led. This will encourage people to see AI media in a different light.&rdquo;
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&nbsp;<iframe title="Lammet Zaman - Ramadan 2025 | لمة زمان - رمضان ٢٠٢٥" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nky29zZCFyc" width="790" height="444" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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The Story Behind "Lammet Zaman"
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Despite the overwhelming admiration, many were left wondering: Why was this video made? Who created it? And was it an ad for a brand? The answer was simpler than expected. "Lammet Zaman" was an initiative aimed at reviving the golden era of Egyptian cinema and television using artificial intelligence.
Behind the project is Ailand, an AI-driven media production studio that was originally a family-run IT company before transitioning into media. "We saw AI booming and wanted to be part of it, but we also saw how poorly it was being used," said Salah Selim, the executive producer of "Lammet Zaman." "We wanted to change the perception of AI and show that it could be used to honor the past, not distort it."
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AI-Generated Podcast: The Next Innovation
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Following the success of "Lammet Zaman," Ailand is working on another ambitious project&mdash;an AI-generated podcast. "Half of it will be AI-generated, while the other half will be human-driven," Salah revealed. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re already working on something new,&rdquo; said Salah Selim, executive producer. &ldquo;For Mother&rsquo;s Day, we&rsquo;ve finished the audio production of a special AI project. And after Ramadan, we&rsquo;ll start on an AI-human podcast&mdash;something that will redefine how audiences experience media.&rdquo;
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How AI Brought Classic Egyptian Stars Back to Life
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Bringing "Lammet Zaman" to life was no simple feat. The pre-production phase took months as the team trained AI models to recreate the likeness, expressions, and movements of each classic actor. "We did a survey to see which characters resonated the most with different generations," Salah explained. "Some characters didn&rsquo;t turn out as expected, so we scrapped and redid them. The director&rsquo;s vision played a big role in deciding which ones made it to the final cut."
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The technical process involved more than just feeding old footage into an AI system. "Some people could use the same tools but wouldn&rsquo;t get the same result. There&rsquo;s now a job called &lsquo;prompt engineer&rsquo;&mdash;someone who carefully crafts AI prompts to achieve a specific outcome," Salah noted. "Even the camera angles and movements were prompted. We repeated some scenes more than 20 times just to get the quality we wanted."
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Ethical Questions Surrounding AI in Media
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With AI-generated content becoming more sophisticated, ethical concerns inevitably arise. One major issue is the unauthorized use of an actor&rsquo;s likeness. "We aren&rsquo;t using an actor&rsquo;s face to promote a product without their consent. If we ever do something commercial, it will be with full approval from the artist or their family," Salah clarified.
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This discussion isn&rsquo;t new. The first significant attempt at reviving a deceased Egyptian actor happened in 2013, when Fouad El Mohandes was digitally recreated for an advertisement. However, that wasn&rsquo;t AI&mdash;it was graphic design. "They had to dim his face slightly to avoid making it look unnatural," Salah recalled.
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AI and the Future of Media
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The media industry is at a crossroads: Will it resist AI or embrace it? Salah believes there&rsquo;s only one way forward. "The media has to start integrating AI into its production. This isn&rsquo;t about replacing people&mdash;it&rsquo;s about enhancing creativity and efficiency."
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Ailand has already received interest from media outlets and brands eager to explore AI-generated content. "Lots of people reached out asking us to create AI-generated ads, but our goal isn&rsquo;t just commercial. We want to be a media production hub that pioneers AI-driven content for series, TV programs, and more."
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With new projects already in the works, including the AI podcast and potential future productions, one thing is certain&mdash;AI-generated media isn&rsquo;t a passing trend. It&rsquo;s a new frontier, and Ailand is determined to lead the charge. "Egypt should be pioneering in technology, not fighting it. It&rsquo;s not about AI itself; it&rsquo;s about how we use it," Salah said.
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The conversation around AI in media is only just beginning. And with "Lammet Zaman" setting a new benchmark, the next wave of innovation is already on its&nbsp;way.
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