September 11, 2026
OpenAI has introduced a drawing-based input tool called Sketch alongside the release of ChatGPT Images 2.5. Users can now draw a rough doodle directly inside the ChatGPT interface and use it as a visual reference for image generation. The feature is activated by typing @Sketch into the chat box.
Runway has outlined its research direction toward near-instant video generation, focusing on reducing the time between a prompt and the first rendered frame. The post explores how post-training base models to generate causally - frame by frame rather than all at once - makes real-time output increasingly feasible. The implications stretch across fields like education, gaming, robotics, and simulation.
Netflix's Girish Balakrishnan and animation veteran Joel Kuwahara sat down to discuss how AI tools are entering creative production workflows and what that means for the craft. The conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what actually changes - and what doesn't - when AI becomes part of the process. It's a grounded look at AI's role in animation from two practitioners with real stakes in the outcome.
Runway has introduced Media Router, a preference-optimized routing system built into its Runway Dev platform. Rather than relying on a single generative model, the system intelligently directs requests to the most suitable model based on the task at hand. It is the first tool of its kind purpose-built for generative media workflows.
Runway brought its Characters technology to SIGGRAPH's Real-Time Live! stage, demoing a generative character running in real time before an audience of researchers and practitioners. The team shares what the experience was like, what caught attendees off guard, and where the work is heading next.
