AI Startup Runway Partners with Getty Images to Generate ‘Safe’ Content
Artificial intelligence (AI) startup Runway has partnered with stock agency Getty Images to launch a new generative video model for enterprise customers.
In a blog post detailing the partnership, Runway says that the partnership will enable users to “combine the power of Runway with Getty Images’ world-class fully licensed creative content library,” which Runway promises will provide “a new way to bring ideas and stories to life through video in enterprise ready and safe ways.”
The Runway <> Getty Images Model (RGM) aims to deliver a baseline model that enterprise users can build upon with custom generative video models, including the option to fine-tune RGM using proprietary datasets. Runway argues that this will enable companies across many fields, including media, broadcasting, advertising, and even Hollywood studios, to “enhance their creative capabilities and provide new channels for video creation…”
“Runway’s collaboration with Getty Images takes our mission to empower creators with a new generation of AI tools to a new level of creative control and customization,” says Runway CEO and co-founder Cristóbal Valenzuela. “This will unlock new commercial uses and new video products for companies, and we’re looking forward to seeing the outputs.”
Runway explains that with Getty Images, RGM will push the boundaries of what is possible with AI and video content generation. Further, RGM will be available for commercial use in the coming months.
The landscape of generative text-to-video technology has rapidly changed in the last few weeks. Stability AI, the company behind the AI image generator Stable Diffusion, recently announced Stable Video Diffusion. Last week, Pika Labs launched version 1.0 of its generative video platform alongside announcing a $55 million funding round from investors. However, notably, the highlight video showcasing the software has been delivered a copyright strike and is no longer visible.
Generating video content using AI is much more resource-intensive and challenging than creating still images. However, much like generative image technology, which has advanced very swiftly in 2023, generative video will undoubtedly improve significantly in 2024.
Getty chief product officer Grant Farhall tells Axios that the company’s generative text-to-image tool has demonstrated that it’s possible to create high-quality, useful AI generative models using “responsibly sourced” data, adding that Getty will now prove that the same can be done with video thanks to Getty’s partnership with Runway.
Runway’s incorporation of images from Getty Images is notably different from something like Stable Video Diffusion. Runway, much like Adobe has done with its Firefly AI technology, wants to create AI technology that is commercially safe, meaning trained and built using legally acquired content.
Introducing Generative AI by Getty Images – a new tool that pairs our best-in-class creative content with the latest AI technology for a commercially safe generative AI tool! Trained on Getty Images’ world-class creative content, the tool works seamlessly with our expansive… pic.twitter.com/qSG9CG2CFh
— Getty Images (@GettyImages) September 25, 2023
As Axios writes, “There’s a growing push by AI companies to offer options for businesses with greater legal protections against copyright claims,” meaning that it is crucial to companies that the AI they use to generate content will not open it up to legal challenges down the road.
Some other AI companies, like Google, have taken a different, more reactionary approach, promising to legally protect its generative AI users against lawsuits concerning copyright violations.
The pricing for this new Runway-Getty Images technology partnership has yet to be detailed. However, Runway says it is working directly with enterprise companies now and that a self-service option may be coming.
