The Business Runway founder Cristóbal Valenzuela wants Hollywood to embrace AI
Sep 5, 2025
Cristóbal Valenzuela, co-founder of Runway, an AI firm, dives into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in Hollywood. He discusses how major studios like Lionsgate and Netflix are already leveraging AI tools to enhance creativity and streamline production. While acknowledging fears of job losses, Valenzuela compares the current AI backlash to the historical resistance against sound in film, suggesting that embracing AI could ultimately benefit filmmakers and the industry at large.
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AI Accelerates Production Steps
- Runway's AI speeds many production steps rather than replacing whole films.
- The tool helps editors and teams make assets faster for tight-deadline shows like Colbert.
From Chile To NYU: A Creative Origin
- Valenzuela started thinking of AI as a creative tool while studying in Chile and at NYU.
- He likens AI to a camera or paintbrush and stresses working alongside artists to make it expressive.
History Shows Jobs Transform, Not Just Vanish
- Technological shifts change jobs but also create new industries, as happened when sound arrived in film.
- Expect role transformations rather than only net job loss in filmmaking.