Latest news with #Gen4
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Lights, Camera, Algorithm! Runway AI Joins the Production Crew
Not that innovations tend to enter the scene under the cloak of obscurity, now come loud, Netflix and Disney are venturing into the future of film production via their considerations toward Runway AI's generative video technology. This isn't a headline-catching pivot or marketing ploy-just a wise, strategic investment for a leaner and smarter ecosystem of content productions. Instead of losing their voice over discussing how "AI is changing the entertainment industry," they have quietly placed AI tools to multiply creative capabilities behind the curtains, rather than replace human creativity. Runway AI made headlines when it revealed that Netflix had utilized generative tools for visual effects in its Argentine sci-fi series The Eternaut. One of the scenes featured in the video was of a building collapse execution performed ten times faster and at a fraction of the traditional VFX costs using Runway's AI models. The increasingly secretive Disney experiments with Runway's capabilities. Disney has its eyes set on a fast, scalable avenue for pre-visualization, editing, and rendering of high-quality content without costs ballooning, given the huge franchise portfolio and large-scale production pressures. Unlike some of the tech-first disruptors, both studios are extremely careful about getting into any kind of controversy. Their deployment of AI is consciously thought out by humans and integrated into existing workflows. But what makes the Runway AI even more enchanting, beyond generating almost-realistic videos from text or image prompts, is its expansion of the creative toolkit. With Gen 4 and Act Two, directors and editors can rapidly scratch visual ideas, animate scenes without green screen, and replace cumbersome manual steps with iterations based on a few prompts. In effect, it's equipping the filmmakers with a virtual VFX assistant that can churn out high-fidelity results in a matter of hours, as compared to the several weeks it takes today. From a business operations standpoint, this is a dream scenario. Budgets become leaner, production timelines shrink, and visual standards go up. Studios can now prototype scenes faster, test narratives more effectively, and push creative boundaries without burning capital. Importantly, this approach is not eliminating jobs—it's reallocating creative energy to higher-value tasks while AI handles the repetitive and time-consuming ones. The long-term implications for the entertainment sector are immense. Indie filmmakers now have access to tools that were once the domain of major studios. VFX can be democratized, not gatekept. Global storytelling becomes easier as AI bridges budget constraints and language barriers. For streamers trying to meet escalating content demands, this is not a luxury—it's a some in the industry express concern over copyright and synthetic content, companies like Netflix and Disney are clearly prioritizing compliance and thoughtful use. Disney's earlier lawsuits against AI image generators suggest a legal-first mindset, and both studios are moving cautiously. There's no blanket adoption—just targeted, project-specific integrations designed to test impact before ahead, expect hybrid production crews that include prompt engineers alongside cinematographers. Expect faster ideation cycles, more personalized content, and a shift toward AI literacy as a core skill in the creative economy. This is not a disruption—it's a natural evolution, one that respects tradition while optimizing for the future. Netflix and Disney's early embrace of Runway AI is a blueprint for how legacy companies can move fast without breaking things. It's pragmatic innovation: quiet, careful, and rooted in value creation. For those building the next generation of content, the message is clear—this isn't the end of creative storytelling. It's just the beginning of a more intelligent version.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lights, Camera, Algorithm! Runway AI Joins the Production Crew
Live Events Not that innovations tend to enter the scene under the cloak of obscurity, now come loud, Netflix and Disney are venturing into the future of film production via their considerations toward Runway AI 's generative video technology . This isn't a headline-catching pivot or marketing ploy-just a wise, strategic investment for a leaner and smarter ecosystem of content productions. Instead of losing their voice over discussing how "AI is changing the entertainment industry," they have quietly placed AI tools to multiply creative capabilities behind the curtains, rather than replace human AI made headlines when it revealed that Netflix had utilized generative tools for visual effects in its Argentine sci-fi series The Eternaut . One of the scenes featured in the video was of a building collapse execution performed ten times faster and at a fraction of the traditional VFX costs using Runway's AI increasingly secretive Disney experiments with Runway's capabilities. Disney has its eyes set on a fast, scalable avenue for pre-visualization, editing, and rendering of high-quality content without costs ballooning, given the huge franchise portfolio and large-scale production pressures. Unlike some of the tech-first disruptors, both studios are extremely careful about getting into any kind of controversy. Their deployment of AI is consciously thought out by humans and integrated into existing what makes the Runway AI even more enchanting, beyond generating almost-realistic videos from text or image prompts, is its expansion of the creative toolkit. With Gen 4 and Act Two, directors and editors can rapidly scratch visual ideas, animate scenes without green screen, and replace cumbersome manual steps with iterations based on a few prompts. In effect, it's equipping the filmmakers with a virtual VFX assistant that can churn out high-fidelity results in a matter of hours, as compared to the several weeks it takes a business operations standpoint, this is a dream scenario. Budgets become leaner, production timelines shrink, and visual standards go up. Studios can now prototype scenes faster, test narratives more effectively, and push creative boundaries without burning capital. Importantly, this approach is not eliminating jobs—it's reallocating creative energy to higher-value tasks while AI handles the repetitive and time-consuming long-term implications for the entertainment sector are immense. Indie filmmakers now have access to tools that were once the domain of major studios. VFX can be democratized, not gatekept. Global storytelling becomes easier as AI bridges budget constraints and language barriers. For streamers trying to meet escalating content demands, this is not a luxury—it's a some in the industry express concern over copyright and synthetic content, companies like Netflix and Disney are clearly prioritizing compliance and thoughtful use. Disney's earlier lawsuits against AI image generators suggest a legal-first mindset, and both studios are moving cautiously. There's no blanket adoption—just targeted, project-specific integrations designed to test impact before ahead, expect hybrid production crews that include prompt engineers alongside cinematographers. Expect faster ideation cycles, more personalized content, and a shift toward AI literacy as a core skill in the creative economy. This is not a disruption—it's a natural evolution, one that respects tradition while optimizing for the and Disney's early embrace of Runway AI is a blueprint for how legacy companies can move fast without breaking things. It's pragmatic innovation: quiet, careful, and rooted in value creation. For those building the next generation of content, the message is clear—this isn't the end of creative storytelling . It's just the beginning of a more intelligent version.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
The Making Of Formula Gen4, The Future Of EVs
Porsche, Jaguar, and Nissan have been fundamental in providing feedback and developing the newest ... More generation of electric race cars. The eleventh season of Formula E is set to finish with the series' traditional London season finale doubleheader on July 26 and 27. Nissan driver Oliver Rowland has already secured the driver's championship, and his team is neck and neck with Porsche for the manufacturers' trophy. While the competition on the track has been fierce, Formula E's manufacturers — Porsche, Nissan, Jaguar, Stellantis, Mahindra, and Lola — have been hard at work developing a faster, lighter, more inspirational generation of electric race cars: Gen4. Eagle-eyed racing fans will have noticed that on June 10th, Formula E released the initial statistics for its Gen4 cars. The most advanced electric racer yet will have permanent 4-wheel drive, 600kW power output, compared to just 350 kW currently and 700kW of regeneration power. According to outgoing Jaguar Racing Team Principal James Barclay, this represents 'the biggest step change in any generation.' As the cars whizz around tracks from Sao Paulo to Tokyo, they will hug the corners tighter, accelerate faster, and be even more efficient. Speaking to me via video call days after the Berlin race, Barclay said Gen4 will be 'an incredibly fast racing car,' adding it will 'take another significant step in performance in corner speed and top speed.' The challenge will be for the drivers to control the advanced machinery while securing the checkered flag. Porsche Team Principal Florian Modlinger and Nissan Team Principal Tommaso Volpe agree with Barclay. Modlinger says the car will be 'massively fast,' adding that 'cornering speed will increase, acceleration potential is higher, and top speeds are massively higher even on city tracks.' Volpe insists the cars will be so potent that in some instances Formula E will need to use different circuits to ensure proper safety and entertainment. The Gen4 car will launch in 2026 for the start of Formula E's 13th season, but work on the next generation has been underway for a while now. Gen4 was announced at last season's Monaco race in May. This was preceded by roughly 18 months of conversations between manufacturers, Formula E and FIA, motorsport's world governing body. At the season 10 series finale in London, this time last year, FIA and Formula E solidified the guidelines and regulations for Gen4, passing them on to the manufacturers. As Volpe says, 'the regulations are a product of conversations between the manufacturers, Formula E and FIA,' so the manufacturers know what to expect when they receive them. As one of the core manufacturers, Nissan (and others) recommended the permanent use of all-wheel drive, as opposed to its current use solely during 'attack mode.' With the regulations in hand, Porsche, Nissan, Jaguar, et al have been developing the powertrains that will power their cars. As Barclay says, 'We are normally working about two years ahead.' This means developing not only new, cutting-edge technology, but convincing decision-makers in huge corporations like Nissan, Porsche, and Jaguar Land Rover that there is a smart business case to be made for spending millions on advanced electric vehicle technology. The entire process, from the moment a commitment to develop a new generation of cars is made until the moment the car is racing, is roughly three years, two of which are used for research, design, testing, and further technical development. This research, design, and testing period is critical because once the car is approved under Gen4 rules and regulations, its hardware cannot be changed for two years. 'Every homologation lasts two years,' Barclay says. Software changes and time in the simulator are the only ways the drivers and the teams' engineers can improve the car once in season. While the FIA and Formula E determine the specifications for the common chassis and battery, the manufacturers can find a competitive advantage through their unique powertrain designs. Nissan is one of five manufacturers committed to Formula E's Gen4. Modlinger says that when his Porsche engineering team receives the specifications for a new Gen from the governing bodies, the first thing they look at is what they are allowed to develop. The team is looking to maximize grip, downforce, and torque, while minimizing weight and complying with Formula E's cost cap. The championship's cost cap for each manufacturer is €29 million over two years, or roughly €15 million per season. Other parameters for the new hardware include a maximum weight of 100 kgs. According to Volpe, there are two main difficulties when developing a new generation of Formula E car technology. First, he says, 'When you start the development of a car within the regulations, any decision is a compromise.' To maximize speed, you may give up some form of efficiency. Second, cars are developed without knowledge of future race formats. Certain circuits require more energy, others require more raw power. A manufacturer may design what they believe to be a perfect car, only for it to underperform depending on the type of race. The manufacturers and Formula E all have a stated commitment to improving electric racing technology and transferring it to regular EVs down the line. The vast improvement in speed, energy regeneration, and most notably charging from the current Gen3 Evo to Gen4 is expected to deliver transformational performance on both track and road. Volpe says the constant improvement of the efficiency of the cars is 'what is helping the future development of EVs,' adding 'efficiency leads to greater adoption.' This is born out by the fact that as battery life has become more reliable and driving range has increased, consumer purchases of EVs around the world have gone up. Meanwhile, Barclay notes that to drive the use of EVs and thereby increase transportation sustainability on a global scale, 'firstly, you have to inspire.' Sports are one of the few industries that can draw out people's passions and convince them to invest in a certain idea or product. Barclay recalls growing up in South Africa in 1995 and seeing the Springboks win the Rugby World Cup, transforming the nation under Nelson Mandela. Formula E's Gen4 cars are unlikely to drive the sort of overnight change that saw the Springboks unite the Rainbow Nation, but through impressive performances on the track, they may convince the next generation of drivers to go electric as opposed to buying a traditional internal combustion engine. By September of this year, each manufacturer will have the first draft of their Gen4 car. They will test them from September into 2026 and finalize them before the 2026 racing season. In just over a decade, Formula E cars have shifted from vehicles that needed to be swapped mid-race to the most efficient racing vehicles in the world. In just over a year, we will see the dawn of a new age in electric racing, with some predicting such high performance that people will never go back to traditional gas-powered engines.
News18
12-07-2025
- Automotive
- News18
Formula E Set to Sign Exclusive Long-Term Deal With FIA
Formula E will extend its exclusive FIA agreement, staying the sole fully electric championship. Official confirmation is expected in London. Formula E is poised to extend its exclusive agreement with motorsport's global governing body, the FIA — a move that will ensure it remains the world's only fully electric championship under official sanction for decades to come. The championship, which began in 2014, currently operates under a 25-year license. That exclusivity looks set to continue well into the future. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hinted at the extension during the recent British Grand Prix at Silverstone, telling reporters that the renewed agreement is 'done" and would be formally announced 'soon." Official Confirmation Expected in London While nothing has been confirmed on paper yet, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds told Reuters on Friday, ahead of the Berlin double-header, that announcements can be expected at the season finale in London later this month. 'We've got quite a lot of exciting things lined up for London," Dodds said. Formula E is set to shrink from 11 teams to 10 next season, with McLaren expected to bow out at the end of the current campaign to concentrate on endurance racing programs. The team had been seeking new ownership to remain in the series, but Dodds confirmed the timing was too tight for a deal to materialize. 'As it stands, unless something changes — and I never say never in Formula E or motorsport — their last race would be London," he said. Formula E enters its final season with the Gen3 car in 2025–26, before introducing the next-generation Gen4 platform in 2026–27 — a car expected to be faster and more powerful. Rowland Eyes Title as Formula E Nears Season Climax On the competitive front, Nissan's British driver Oliver Rowland has the chance to secure the 2024–25 championship during this weekend's double-header in Berlin. If successful, Rowland would become the 10th different champion in Formula E's 11-season history. (with Reuters inputs) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Star
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Formula E and FIA set for long-term contract extension
Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 22, 2025 General view of the FIA logo ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq LONDON (Reuters) -Formula E is set to extend an exclusive deal with motorsport's world governing body that will ensure it remains the only all-electric racing series sanctioned by the FIA for decades to come. Formula E, majority owned since last year by telecoms company Liberty Global, started out in 2014 with a 25-year licence. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem let slip to reporters during last weekend's British Formula One Grand Prix that an extension to the Formula E contract was done and "would come up soon". Formula E chief executive Jeff Dodds told Reuters on Friday ahead of the season's penultimate round in Berlin that there was nothing official. He said, however, to expect various announcements at the London season-ender this month. Formula One is starting a new engine era next year with a 50/50 split between combustion and electric but Ben Sulayem has said the Liberty Media-owned sport could go back to noisy V8 engines by 2029. "If they (F1) choose to keep using it (the 2026 engine), we'll choose to keep talking about the fact that they like the (electric) technology so much they integrate it into their race cars," said Dodds. "If they choose to go back to V8s, then we would absolutely leverage the fact that we would then be the only electric championship and everything that that means." MCLAREN EXIT Formula E is likely to be reduced to 10 teams, from 11 at present, next season after the withdrawal of Formula One champions McLaren to focus on endurance racing. McLaren had sought a new owner for the team but Dodds said the time frame was too tight for interested parties and it would revert to Formula E, barring a late twist. "As it stands unless something changes, and I never say never in Formula E or motorsport, their last race would be London," he added. "The team slot would vacate, which means the licence would revert to us, and then we have a lot of other interest in joining the championship. "The chance of somebody joining for one year of Gen3 is unlikely but the chance of somebody coming in and starting to develop with a future coming in for Gen4 is much more likely." Formula E will be in the last year of its Gen3 era next season, with the more powerful and faster Gen4 car then coming in for 2026/27. Nissan's British driver Oliver Rowland can clinch the 2024-25 championship in the Berlin double-header this weekend, and would be the series' 10th different champion in 11 seasons. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
