As it invests significant capital in the metaverse and artificial intelligence (AI), NEOM Tech & Digital, a division of the $500 billion signature giga-project NEOM, has rebranded itself as Tonomus.
To further Tonomus’ objective to establish NEOM as the first ‘cognitive community’, the business has committed $1 billion in AI initiatives, including a metaverse platform. Joseph Bradley, the Chief Executive of Tonomus, said the company is working to integrate AI technology into The Line, which will have robots, holograms, mirrored facades, and run 100% on renewable energy. “NEOM is really becoming, in my opinion, the innovation engine for the GCC,” he said.
The company is working to integrate AI technology into The Line
Bradley claimed that before making an investment in NEOM, people from all around the world will be able to tour the city virtually. The Line is already being built with Digital Twin technology, which will enhance residents’ quality of life once the city is finished. “So you own an apartment in NEOM, and you decide that you are going to open up, you’re going have a party; you can also decide to have folks come in virtually, holographically,” Bradley explained.
The Line is already being built with Digital Twin technology, which will enhance residents’ quality of life once the city is finished
Saudi Arabia is not the first Gulf nation to turn to the metaverse to increase its attractiveness to potential investors and citizens. In July, Dubai unveiled a metaverse strategy that promises to add $4 billion and 40,000 new jobs to the city’s economy over the next five years.
But Bradley claimed that despite the competition, he remained confident about NEOM future: “I don’t see us as having to catch up with anyone. This is a fundamental shift in the game. You’re not playing basketball anymore; you’re playing a completely different game.”