Ubisoft
The Hieroglyphics Initiative
Translating Egyptian hieroglyphs using AI & machine learning.
Understand what’s changing
Translating hieroglyphs has always been slow. Thousands of symbols, one Rosetta Stone, and centuries-old methods.
Ubisoft and Google asked if machine learning could speed things up.
We built a tool that could. A machine learning-powered Workbench that recognises, translates, and reconstructs glyphs. Built with TensorFlow, Unity, and WebVR, it lets researchers draw, test, and refine symbols to boost recognition and unlock new meaning.
We launched with a campaign video, academic materials, and a dedicated website. The tool was open-sourced and quickly adopted by researchers worldwide.
Find the impact
Created a breakthrough tool for automatic glyph recognition, accelerating Egyptological research
Digitised and enhanced ancient texts, aiding reconstruction of damaged or incomplete inscriptions
Sparked new collaboration between technology and academia, influencing future digital research methodologies
Featured globally by press and institutions including the British Museum, Google, and multiple universities
Get it live
Initiative unveiled as part of global press launch for Assassin’s Creed: Origins at the British Museum
The biggest challenge? Lack of training data. Our solution was to mobilise the gaming community who drew over 80,000 glyphs in a single night
12-month global engagement programme with Egyptologists culminating in a lecture to the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Keynote speech and breakout session delivered at Google NEXT
