Runway has unveiled its latest product, Runway Characters, a real-time video agent API that allows users to create fully custom conversational characters. The launch, which took place today, offers the capability to develop digital personas with complete control over their visual appearance, voice, personality, and actions. Utilizing the recently released GWM-1 world model, Runway Characters enables users to generate dynamic and expressive avatars from a single image without any fine-tuning required.
The introduction of Runway Characters marks a significant evolution in online interactions. Traditionally, the internet has functioned as a query-response system, where users input questions or data and machines return results. Although large language models (LLMs) and chatbots have made these interactions more engaging, they still rely on text-based interfaces. Runway believes that the future lies in real-time video interactions, where users can engage with custom characters and immerse themselves in generated environments. This technology facilitates instant character generation that spans various visual styles—from realistic humans to animated mascots—enhancing the conversational expressiveness of digital interactions.
Runway Characters offers several features that cater to the needs of enterprise teams deploying conversational AI at scale. Among them is the capability for instant character generation from a single reference image, alongside full conversational expressiveness, which includes natural facial movements, eye gestures, lip-syncing, and other interactions during dialogue. The API supports real-time performance, maintaining high quality even during extended conversations. Moreover, users can completely customize their characters’ voice, personality, knowledge base, and actions through the API.
This innovative tool is designed for diverse applications across various sectors, from startups to large enterprises. In customer support, companies can deploy branded avatars that enhance the human touch while aligning with their visual identity. For learning and development, interactive characters can serve as tutors or coaches, capable of engaging in educational dialogues with natural expressiveness. Additionally, brands can leverage their intellectual property by utilizing animated mascots or characters to interact with customers in real-time, moving beyond static, pre-recorded content.
Runway has already partnered with organizations such as the BBC and Silverside, both of which are actively using the Characters API. The rollout of this tool is now available to all customers, further expanding its potential applications across the industry.
Getting started with Runway Characters is straightforward. Users can define their character based on a single image, configure its attributes—including voice and personality—and then deploy it via the API for integration into their websites or applications. This process ensures that brands have comprehensive control over avatar experiences, enabling them to create support tickets, process customer orders, and retrieve information from enterprise databases in real-time.
Runway Characters is now available on the developer platform, allowing enterprise teams to begin developing custom avatar experiences immediately at dev.runwayml.com. For consumers, preset avatars are being introduced in the Runway web app, enabling users to interact with Characters firsthand.
As businesses and consumers alike explore the capabilities of real-time video agents, Runway Characters represents a significant advancement in the way digital interactions are conducted, potentially reshaping customer engagement and educational experiences in the digital landscape.
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