The Next Medium: Why Real-Time Interactive Video Changes Everything — Ahmed Ahres, Reactor
Aug 18, 2026 · 17:30
Ahmed Ahres, head of go-to-market at Reactor, argues that world models are real-time interactive video, a change of medium rather than a speedup, because video becomes programmable like software. GPS enabling Uber and viewfinders enabling Instagram and TikTok show how real time unlocks new applications. Reactor's platform serves infinite interactive video (Helios from ByteDance), controllable worlds (Lingbot from Alibaba, LongLive 2 from Nvidia), and live avatars he admits are still uncracked. Users build interactive live streams, medical and cooking simulations, and video-to-video editing. Real-time infrastructure means streaming pixels, live sessions with memory, and sub-100-millisecond latency; he offers promo code AIE2026 for $75 credits.
