AI video-generation startup Runway is betting its next leap won’t be smarter text, but world models learned from real-world observational data. Founded in 2018 by three founders from Chile and Greece who met at NYU Tisch, the company built a reputation on video tools used by filmmakers and ad agencies, with partnerships including Lionsgate and AMC Networks. Now valued at $5.3 billion, Runway says it launched a first world model in December and plans another this year—taking aim at Google’s AI ambitions.
Thinking Machines is previewing “interaction models” meant to move AI beyond turn based chat. Its system processes 200ms chunks in full duplex—listening, talking, and responding to visual cues at once—while a separate background model handles deeper reasoning. The company reports major gains on FD-bench benchmarks, but availability is limited to a research preview first.
Your news, in seconds
Get the Beige app — every story in 60 words, updated hourly. Free on iOS & Android.
Alibaba researchers say their Metis agent, trained with HDPO reinforcement learning, cuts redundant tool use from 98% to 2% by teaching accuracy and efficiency as separate learning signals. The approach targets “trigger-happy” behavior that slows agents, inflates API costs, and injects noisy context. Metis also reaches top-tier reasoning and visual-document performance across benchmarks.
Swipe through stories, personalise your feed, and save articles for later — all on the app.
