Runway's Solaris previews the no-code internet
Good morning, AI enthusiasts, and welcome to our 4,629 new readers. Runway just previewed an internet where nothing exists until you open it, with interactive sites and apps that have zero code running under the hood. Solaris instead renders everything as real-time video, creating each frame as you click — and the internet as one…
Opening of the original on The Rundown AI
Summary
Runway previewed Solaris, an interface world model that renders websites and apps as live video, with no code running underneath. The system uses Runway's Gen-4.5 video model and an LLM to generate each frame in real time based on user interaction. Demos showed interactive applications like trying on shirts and building salads. Testers preferred Solaris over sites coded by Claude Opus 5 in 71% of matchups for in-scene behavior.
Why it matters
Solaris offers a glimpse into a future web where interfaces are rendered as video, eliminating traditional coding. This approach, enabled by advancements in AI model speed and quality, could lead to entirely new, cost-effective interfaces. While Runway's study shows user preference over Claude Opus 5, the technology faces challenges like text legibility and session drift. Its success will depend on continued AI progress and whether it proves to be more than a novelty, impacting how users interact with online content and potentially challenging existing web development paradigms.
Related: Google: Google’s latest AI weather model gives you no excuse to forget your umbrella · Anthropic: Four major AI models suffer rare overlapping downtime · Microsoft: Meet MAI-Transcribe-2: A faster and more accurate speech recognition model · Meta: Get the full story behind the light · xAI: Use 14 references in Grok Imagine videos
Rated middle: a real update, not a headline event.
- Claude Fable 5.1 made me a really nice animated pelicanSimon Willison · Web · Sep 1, 2026
- How To EASILY Run Local AI ModelsMatt Wolfe · Web · Aug 26, 2026
- OpenAI’s Altman Unveils Astra as a New Step Toward AGI | The Close 9/3/2026Bloomberg Technology · Web · Sep 3, 2026
- Sam Altman Says OpenAI Has Fumbled at Communicating AI BenefitsBloomberg Technology · Web · Sep 3, 2026
- OpenAI's Sam Altman on Astra Model Debut, Benefits of AIBloomberg Technology · Web · Sep 3, 2026
- OpenAI Rolls Out GPT-6 Astra Model With Cyber GuardrailsBloomberg Technology · Web · Sep 3, 2026
- How To EASILY Run Local AI ModelsMatt Wolfe
- Two Rival Bets on AGI: Google I/O HighlightsAI Explained
- Introducing gpt-ossOpenAI News
- Sora System CardOpenAI News
- Consistency ModelsOpenAI News
- Video generation models as world simulatorsOpenAI News
Questions people ask
- How does Solaris work?
- Solaris renders websites and apps as live video. It uses Runway's Gen-4.5 video model and an LLM to generate each frame in real time as a user interacts, with no code running underneath.
- What are the limitations of Solaris?
- Runway noted issues with text legibility, long session drift, and screens that appear convincing but are incorrect. The system is heading into early access for further testing.
- How does Solaris compare to traditional web pages?
- In a Runway study, testers chose Solaris over pages coded by Claude Opus 5 in 71% of matchups judging in-scene behavior and 61% on instruction following.
More from The Rundown AI 15 more
Page generated Sep 3, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the story belongs to The Rundown AI.