123RF launches Sphere AI platform for Malaysian marketers
Fri, 10th Apr 2026
123RF has launched Sphere, an AI-based creative operating system for marketing teams aimed at businesses and agencies in Malaysia.
The launch expands 123RF's business as companies in Malaysia increase their use of artificial intelligence in marketing, content production and automation. Sphere is designed to bring together tasks often spread across separate tools, including concept development, static design, video creation and format adaptation.
Malaysia has been positioning itself as a regional digital economy hub, with businesses, smaller firms and public sector programmes increasing investment in digital transformation. That has helped drive demand for software that reduces manual work and simplifies processes across marketing teams.
Many organisations still manage ideation, design and distribution through fragmented systems. Sphere is intended to address that by placing more of the workflow in a single environment and helping teams keep outputs aligned with brand identity across channels and markets.
Bernardine Michael, chief marketing officer of 123RF, described the problem as tool overload in marketing departments.
"Marketing teams today are switching between too many tools and losing valuable time," said Bernardine Michael, chief marketing officer of 123RF.
She said 123RF sees Sphere as a broader workflow product rather than a narrowly focused application.
"Sphere is not another point solution. It's infrastructure that connects the entire creative workflow, from brief to performance," Michael said.
Workflow focus
123RF is targeting enterprises, agencies, small and medium-sized businesses, and digital-first brands that need to bring campaigns to market more quickly. In practice, that means reducing the number of services teams use to move from an initial brief to published creative material.
According to 123RF, Sphere can generate visual concepts, create image and video material, resize and adapt work for different formats, and help manage brand consistency. The approach could help teams under pressure to produce more content across social media, eCommerce channels and other digital platforms.
Pang Jack Sen, chief executive officer of 123RF, said the challenge is not only automation but also how work is coordinated across a campaign's stages.
"Automation without orchestration can create chaos," said Pang Jack Sen, chief executive officer of 123RF.
He said the product was designed to link planning and delivery more closely.
"Sphere ensures that campaigns move seamlessly from ideation to execution while keeping teams aligned," Sen said.
Regional context
123RF has longstanding roots in Asia and regards Malaysia as an important market in the region. Local businesses have become more advanced in using AI for content marketing, online retail and social media engagement, reflecting a wider shift in how commercial creative work is produced.
Across Southeast Asia, businesses have been increasing spending on software for content generation, workflow management and automation. But for many organisations, introducing AI tools has also created operational complexity, especially when separate applications are used for briefing, design, editing, approval and distribution.
That has created an opening for vendors offering more integrated systems. Rather than focusing on a single task such as image generation or copywriting, these companies are trying to cover a broader range of marketing activities within one platform.
Phoebe Liew, chief technology officer of 123RF, said the company wanted to reduce friction in daily creative work.
"Our goal was to provide operational clarity without compromising creativity," said Phoebe Liew, chief technology officer of 123RF.
She said the aim was to free staff from process issues and allow more focus on planning and ideas.
"Teams can now focus on ideas and strategy rather than firefighting through fragmented workflows," Liew said.
Sphere's launch is 123RF's latest move to expand beyond stock content into software for marketing operations, as companies reassess how AI fits into routine commercial work.