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For Runway, AI video was step one. Now they’re trying to build worlds | Equity Podcast

AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool in AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool almost overnight, and Runway has a front-row seat to the shift. The New York-based company has raised close to $860 million at a $5.3 billion valuation, and its models are going toe-to-toe with the most well-funded…

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AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool in AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool almost overnight, and Runway has a front-row seat to the shift. The New York-based company has raised close to $860 million at a $5.3 billion valuation, and its models are going toe-to-toe with the most well-funded labs in the world, including Google and OpenAI.

And the technology goes way beyond making videos: it’s now pushing into general world models with applications in gaming, robotics, and maybe something closer to general intelligence.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, host Rebecca Bellan sits down with co-founder and CEO Cristobal Valenzuela to talk about where video generation goes from here, and why Runway’s ambitions now reach well beyond Hollywood.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:56 Can AI really replace Hollywood?

04:18 Why “AI slop” fears miss the point

08:23 Research lab, software company, or creative studio?

13:42 From video generation to world models, explained

17:36 Omni models and multimodal training

19:31 Real-time video and the “Characters” product

22:33 Are AI companions inherently dystopian?

25:59 Physical AI and robotics

28:35 Where growth is coming from: enterprise and prosumer

29:31 Outro

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CNET

Everything Announced at Google I/O 2026 in 13 Minutes

Google I/O 2026 was all about improvements in AI. Gemini is getting smarter, faster and more customized. See what was presented at this year’s event, from a more intuitive Gemini Omni to the realization of Android XR with consumer products coming in the fall. We’ve got the highlights. 00:03 Google products with 1 billion users…

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Google I/O 2026 was all about improvements in AI. Gemini is getting smarter, faster and more customized. See what was presented at this year’s event, from a more intuitive Gemini Omni to the realization of Android XR with consumer products coming in the fall. We’ve got the highlights.

00:03 Google products with 1 billion users
00:06 Ask Maps
00:24 Ask YouTube
00:51 Docs Live
01:47 TPU 8t
02:07 TPU 8i
02:33 Gemini Omni
03:17 Gemini Flash 3.5
03:24 Gemini 3.5 Flash Antigravity demo
04:17 Gemini Spark
04:35 Gemini Spark Demo
05:34 Google AI Ultra new plan pricing
05:54 Intelligent search box
06:37 Agentic capabilities in search
06:59 Generative Search UI
07:27 Universal Cart
07:57 Gemini Neural Expressive
08:40 Daily Brief
09:07 Google Pics
09:43 Google Flow Tools
10:30 Google Flow Music
11:02 Google Audio Glasses
11:36 Google Android XR demo

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CNET

Did Google Just Change Everything? Tech Experts React to Google I/O 2026

Google I/O 2026 just wrapped, and we’re breaking down the absolute biggest announcements. Join our expert panel—featuring Andrew Lanxon (CNET), Andrew Gebhart (PCMag), and Timothy Beck Werth (Mashable)—as they analyze everything you need to know about the next generation of Google Gemini, the highly anticipated Android XR Glasses, and more. Read more about Google I/O…

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Google I/O 2026 just wrapped, and we’re breaking down the absolute biggest announcements. Join our expert panel—featuring Andrew Lanxon (CNET), Andrew Gebhart (PCMag), and Timothy Beck Werth (Mashable)—as they analyze everything you need to know about the next generation of Google Gemini, the highly anticipated Android XR Glasses, and more.

Read more about Google I/O on CNET.com
Google I/O 2026 Live: Gemini Omni, Smart Glasses and More AI

Follow PCMag’s Live Blog:
Google I/O 2026 Live: Here’s Everything Google Just Announced

Follow Mashable’s Live Blog:
Google I/O 2026 live updates: See the latest reveals, Gemini & Android XR

0:00 Google I/O 2026 Keynote: Sundar Pichai Opening
04:30 Gemini Ecosystem & Global User Milestones
18:30 AI Security: SynthID Deepfake Watermarking
21:40 Model Reveal: Gemini 3.5 Flash Performance
23:32 Coding Next-Gen: Google Anti-Gravity Agent Platform
26:52 Live Demo: Building an Operating System with Autonomous Agents
45:00 Android XR Glasses Partnership (Samsung, Warby Parker, Gentle Monster)
1:15:00 Project Astra & Real-Time Multimodal Agents
1:45:00 Keynote Wrap-Up & Transition to CNET Studio
2:00:00 Expert Panel Live Reaction & Roundtable Analysis
2:22:01 Panel Debate: Google Info Agents vs. Real-World Utility
2:23:24 Keeping Human Skills Sharp in the Age of AI
2:25:25 Outro & Closing Remarks

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#google #googleio #android #androidxr #gemini #ai #artificialintelligence

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Science & Technology

Google Search is Getting its Biggest AI Revamp Yet at Google IO 2026

Google Search as you know it is over. The familiar blue links we’ve seen for 25 years are getting pushed out in favor of an “intelligent search box,” which Google is putting front and center as part of its all-in push for AI-powered experiences. On top of all that, “information agents” are planned to release…

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Google Search as you know it is over.

The familiar blue links we’ve seen for 25 years are getting pushed out in favor of an “intelligent search box,” which Google is putting front and center as part of its all-in push for AI-powered experiences.

On top of all that, “information agents” are planned to release this summer, allowing you to track changes made to sites, whether it’s product prices or news updates, and alert you without any prompting. And it’s just the beginning of #GoogleIO’s big reveals.

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