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Runway ML, a video AI startup based in New York City with backing from Google and Nvidia, is cementing its position in the emerging marketplace. The company has just announced a collaboration with Getty Images, a renowned repository of paid stock and editorial imagery, to create a new generative AI video model called the Runway <> Getty Images Model (RGM).
Runway highlights that this new model will serve as a foundational tool for companies to build their custom video content models. Runway’s enterprise clients can fine-tune RGM using their own unique datasets, aiding sectors like Hollywood, advertising, media, and broadcasting to elevate their creative processes. This collaboration aims to streamline content creation, allowing businesses to produce video content that aligns with their brand and audience.
Later in their blog post, Runway emphasized their commitment to advancing AI and video generation capabilities, making it easier for enterprises to generate high-quality, engaging, and brand-consistent content. They noted that the RGM model will be commercially available in the coming months.
The collaboration with Getty Images is significant for several reasons. It lends additional credibility to Runway ML’s AI technology, providing a rich source of data for training the models. However, it remains uncertain how Getty Images’ photographers and contributors will react to their work being used in AI products, given that most contributors are independent contractors rather than employees. This concern mirrors issues faced by Adobe Stock, which has had conflicts with its contributors over the use of their images to train Adobe’s Firefly AI models.
By explicitly targeting industries such as Hollywood, advertising, and media, Runway is clearly aiming to infiltrate some of the largest visual media sectors, becoming an essential part of their workflows.
This partnership announcement follows significant upgrades to Runway’s Gen-2 video-generating AI web app. Enhancements include a motion brush that adds movement to static images, new camera motions that simulate video camera perspectives, and improved video fidelity and realism.
Despite current challenges, including a copyright lawsuit against Runway for using artists’ work without consent, the company is forging ahead. Getty is evidently confident in Runway’s potential, undeterred by the ongoing legal issues.
This move also comes at a time when Runway faces competition from new entrants like Pika, which recently secured $55 million in funding and introduced its 1.0 video AI generator platform.
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