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Netflix Quietly Tests Runway AI
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The streaming giant Netflix has started testing AI video tools from Runway AI, based in New York, which indicates a potential shift in the way major studios will produce content..
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Netflix is testing AI video tools from New York-based startup Runway AI.
- Disney tested Runway but decided not to use it for now.
- Runway’s tools generate video clips and enable advanced animation and motion capture.
Bloomberg , which first reported the story, cited a source familiar with the matter who said, “Netflix is currently using the New York-based startup’s tools in content production.” Netflix declined to comment, and so did Runway.
Disney has also tested the software but said it “has no plans to integrate Runway’s software into its content production pipeline at this time,” as reported by Bloomberg.
The company gained popularity after releasing its first AI video tools in 2023, which generated short video clips from text inputs, as noted by Bloomberg. The company developed its technology to enable more sophisticated applications, including animation and special effects.
Last week, Runway introduced Act-Two as its new motion-capture model, which enables users to transfer real human movements to animated characters.
Bloomberg reports that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed in a Thursday earnings call that the company is using AI for special effects. He cited a collapsing building scene in the upcoming Argentinian series El Eternaut , noting the shot was made “more quickly and cheaply” with AI than traditional tools. However, he did not say whether Runway was involved in that particular scene, and Bloomberg’s sources say it was not.
Bloomberg says that Runway achieved a $3 billion valuation while receiving $545 million in funding, which placed it ahead of numerous other AI startups. Through its partnership with Lionsgate, the company obtained access to studio content for model training, which solidified its position in AI-driven media production.
Still, the entertainment industry is closely monitoring AI developments, as many film and TV professionals worry about the technology’s threat to their jobs, especially with studios exploring lower-cost alternatives to human labor.
Image by National Cancer Institute, from Unsplash
AI Makes Medical Notes Easier To Read, But Trust Issues Remain
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The new artificial intelligence system enables doctors to ease their workload while providing patients more personalized visit summaries
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Sutter Health uses AI to turn clinical notes into patient-friendly summaries.
- Over 2,000 clinicians have adopted the Abridge ambient AI tool.
- Patients feel more listened to with AI-generated visit summaries.
Dr. Veena Jones, chief medical information officer at Sutter Health, explained to the American Medical Association (AMA) how their health system is using ambient AI to change the way medical records are written.
Sutter Health has partnered with Abridge, an AI company that allows doctors to record conversations with patients (with consent) and then generates a full clinical note and a simpler, patient-friendly summary.
“One really stark difference with ambient AI is this is really powerful and really is alleviating a lot of the burden that our clinicians have felt,” Dr. Jones said to AMA.
The new AI system helps doctors to create detailed notes without requiring them to remember the patient’s conversation or typing it into the system. Dr. Jones explains that this allows Doctors to spend their visit time speaking with patients instead of typing notes.
After clicking “Create Note,” they receive both a professional record and a readable summary for the patient. These summaries are reviewed by the doctor before being sent out.
“We’ve heard anecdotally that our clinicians are overall quite impressed with the output,” Dr. Jones said to AMA. Patients, too, have responded positively, with many feeling more listened to and understood.
Dr. Jones explained to AMA, “The patient was very impressed at the level of detail and really left saying, wow, they really listened to me.”
Over 2,000 clinicians at Sutter Health now use this tool, and expansion to hospital-based and emergency staff is underway. Dr. Jones sees long-term benefits: “I think patients are really uniquely positioned to do those things. And it’s also our obligation to give them information in a way that they can digest it to be those members of their care team. So I think that’s really where the power of AI is in helping us provide easily digestible patient summaries.”
However, it’s not all smooth sailing. A contrasting study by psychologists at Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg showed that many patients experience discomfort when they find out their doctors use AI to perform basic tasks.
The study, published last week, showed that patients viewed physicians who disclosed AI use as less competent, trustworthy, and empathetic.
“One possible reason for this finding could be that people are concerned that doctors blindly trust the AI,” the study authors explained, as reported by MedicalExpress .
Even when AI was used only for administrative purposes, respondents were less likely to book appointments with those doctors. The researchers emphasize that these concerns need to be openly addressed by healthcare providers.
“When doctors inform their patients about the use of AI, they should aim to address potential concerns and highlight possible benefits,” they noted to MedicalExpress. “Despite increasing technologization, AI could thereby make our health care even more human,” the authors concluded.
