AI Media Heralded as New Medium, Parallel to Photography and Film, by RunwayML CEO

New York, NY – Cristóbal Valenzuela, CEO and co-founder of generative AI leader RunwayML, recently asserted that artificial intelligence media represents a fundamentally new medium, rather than a mere evolution of existing art forms. In a widely discussed social media post, Valenzuela drew parallels to the transformative emergence of photography and film, emphasizing that AI enables entirely novel forms of expression. This perspective challenges traditional views within creative industries, urging a re-evaluation of how AI-driven content is perceived and developed.

Valenzuela's argument posits that surface similarities between AI-generated content and traditional media can be deceptive. He stated, > "Judging AI purely through the lens of film is like painters judging photography purely through the lens of painting. The surface might look similar. Moving images, composed frames. The core is fundamentally different." He highlighted that new mediums bring unique "affordances, primitives, and possibilities," requiring a distinct understanding beyond prior artistic disciplines.

As CEO of RunwayML, a company reportedly valued at approximately $3 billion, Valenzuela has been at the forefront of developing AI tools for creatives, including pioneering video generation models like Gen-2. RunwayML's mission centers on democratizing content creation by lowering technical barriers, enabling artists and filmmakers to explore these new possibilities. Their tools have already seen adoption in major productions, notably contributing to the visual effects of the Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Valenzuela further elaborated that AI is rapidly becoming an underlying infrastructure, akin to electricity or the internet, rather than a standalone industry. "Calling yourself an AI company today is like calling yourself an internet company in 2024. It's meaningless because it's universal," he explained on his personal website. This vision suggests a future where the focus shifts from the AI technology itself to the innovative media and entertainment experiences it enables, fostering new narratives and interactive content forms.

The transition to this new paradigm, however, requires a departure from traditional evaluation metrics. Valenzuela stressed the need for experimentation to uncover AI's true potential, akin to early filmmakers discovering montage and continuity. He cautioned against "thinking by analogy, judging the new by the standards of the old," advocating for creators to embrace AI's unique capabilities, such as asynchronous and scalable creation, to fully realize its revolutionary impact on perception and expression.