Believe it or not, Humankind II’s ad is not AI

An ad for Humankind II, a new strategy game, spans nine civilisations filmed across nine physical sets.

Created by BETC Paris, the launch film for Humankind II follows a newborn child through thousands of years of human history.

Released in late August 2026 at the Gamescom gaming convention, the 95-second cinematic film ‘Humankind Is About to Begin Again’ sparked conversation because its hyper-realistic, intense imagery initially led internet users to believe it was generated by AI. Welcome to 2026.

In response, the studio, Amplitude Studios, proudly revealed it was a triumph of 100% human craft, shot from a continuous first-person point-of-view (POV) of a newborn baby. It was filmed entirely over three intense shooting days at the famous Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria, known for its large-scale historical sets

I’ve not played the game, but the trailer is certainly giving ‘Civilisation’ vibes, hooking me in.

The core idea is that "no one chooses the era into which they are born", tying into the premise of the Humankind strategy game, where players build and guide civilisations from scratch.

The film spans the Neolithic era, Ancient Egypt, and the Viking Age, through to the Black Death and World War II, and eventually up to a future space-exploration colony.

Our take

In an era where ads are often mistaken for AI, it’s interesting that BETC Paris and Amplitude Studios chose to use its the production's physical merits as a selling point, while ceasing on the opportunity to call fans out for their folly.

We liked the repeated ‘arms stretched out’ baby motif that worked well to unite the shifting time spans.

To help tie the shifting aesthetics together, some post-production tinting has likely been added, which can’t have helped quash the AI rumours.

There’s a wider issue there with that filming choice, echoed by critics of Hollywood who decry the homogenised ‘synthetic’ look of a lot of many modern films.

Perhaps as an antidote to the AI age we’ll see more naturalistic tones favoured and the demise of Botox to recreate the very human look of the golden era of film in the Seventies.

Adland, pay attention, we called it first. In the meantime, enjoy a very well-made ad regardless.