Top 5 in Tech: Midjourney’s First Video Model, Anthropic Fair Use Win, Runway Enters Gaming

VP Land Staff

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Here's a quick roundup of the most significant developments in media and entertainment technology this week:

🎬 Midjourney V1 Video Model

Midjourney has introduced its first video generation model, V1, which animates still images - either created in Midjourney or uploaded by users - into short video clips 5 seconds in length. The tool offers both automatic and manual animation controls, allowing users to adjust motion intensity and camera moves, though current output is limited to 480p resolution and up to 20 seconds in length (using the extend clip feature). Unlike some competitors, V1 does not support text-to-video generation. This launch marks Midjourney’s entry into video AI, with plans for more advanced features in the future.

⚖️ Anthropic Wins Landmark Fair Use Ruling in AI Copyright Case

A federal court ruled that Anthropic’s use of legally obtained copyrighted books to train its AI models qualifies as fair use, finding the training transformative and not a market substitute for the original works. However, the company faces a separate trial over allegations it also used pirated books, which the court said are not protected under fair use.

🎮 Runway Game Worlds: No-Code AI Game Creation

Runway launched Game Worlds, a no-code platform where users create and play interactive games using simple text prompts, with AI generating characters, environments, and dialogue in real time. The platform currently supports image and text-based games but plans to add 3D and physics features. Runway also updated its Gen-4 References system for more consistent visual styles.

📸 Higgsfield Soul: AI for Fashion-Grade Photography

Higgsfield AI unveiled Soul, an AI photo model focused on high-aesthetic fashion, editorial, and lifestyle imagery, offering over 50 curated presets inspired by current trends and subcultures. The platform uses a preset-driven approach, enabling users to generate editorial-quality photos without complex prompts or traditional production costs. 

🎬 Seedance 1.0: ByteDance’s AI Video Model

ByteDance launched Seedance 1.0, an AI video generation model that produces 5- to 10-second HD videos with realistic motion and strong prompt adherence in seconds, priced about 70% lower than competitors like Google’s Veo 3. 

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