AI-generated video has evolved from a novelty into a genuine creative tool almost overnight, and Runway is perfectly positioned to witness this transformation. Based in New York, the company has raised nearly $860 million at a valuation of $5.3 billion. Its models now compete directly with the best-funded labs in the world, including those at Google and OpenAI. But the technology extends far beyond video creation—Runway is now venturing into general world models with applications in gaming, robotics, and perhaps even something closer to general intelligence.

Listen to the full episode to explore:

- Why Valenzuela believes the real limitation in filmmaking has never been technology—and what changes when that barrier is removed

- How Runway's approach to world models differs from that of Google and other labs working in this space

- What "nonlinear media" actually means, and why real-time video generation unlocks use cases far beyond content creation

- Why Valenzuela pushes back against the idea that AI companions are "inherently dystopian"

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