Introducing Make Believe, The AI Media Lab For A New Era of Interactive Video

Led by YouTube Veteran Ben Relles, Lab Will Pioneer New Generation of “Videos That Talk Back” And Other New Content Formats

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Make Believe, an AI media lab pioneering the transition of video into an interactive, conversational medium, officially announced its launch last week. Founded by veteran YouTube executive Ben Relles, Make Believe is built to design and deploy new video-native formats and digital twins centered on purposeful utility, deep personalization, and trusted creator partnerships.

Make Believe approaches video as a responsive architecture. The lab is dedicated to exploring the massive possibilities of "videos that talk back" - programming that breaks the fourth wall. This shift allows a single piece of video content—whether an educational program, a documentary, a game, or a creator-led experience—to adapt dynamically in real time to a viewer's language, age, available time, and personal curiosity. Imagine being able to learn a new language or musical instrument, make a recipe, plan a new business, or play a game with a trusted personality or favorite fictional character.

“For 100 years, video was a one-way street, something you simply watched. We are at the beginning of the first era of video programming you actually talk with," said Ben Relles, Founder of Make Believe. "We want to be part of developing an entirely new approach to programming that will result in premium, trusted formats that give audiences genuine, deep participation in the media they care about."

Added Relles: "One thing I learned from the early days of YouTube is that when you give creators new capabilities, they invent formats that were previously unimaginable. The formats that will define this next era of video don't exist yet and we are focused on the incredible possibilities this opens up."

Make Believe works with public figures and creators who have deep, loyal audiences, always with their full creative partnership and authorization. The lab’s proprietary technology stack for video avatars allows extraordinary people to create digital twins of themselves that seamlessly scales their unique presence, craft, and expertise to a global audience 24/7. Early validation of this framework includes the team’s work on the Reid AI digital twin, developed in collaboration with entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, which proved that audiences derive immense value from personalized, video-native interactions with trusted experts. Hoffman is one of Make Believe’s initial funders.

In addition to Relles, who previously led Innovation and Unscripted Original Programming for YouTube, The Make Believe launch team includes fellow YouTube veteran Margaret Burris, and Alec Lindsay, who was previously at HeyGen. Together, they are expanding the lab’s capabilities into adaptive learning, responsive coaching, smart curation, and interactive storytelling.

Relles has spent his career creating breakthrough ideas and formats at the intersection of video and technology. Most recently Ben worked with Hoffman across his venture investment portfolio, with a focus on leveraging AI in the creative process, including Reid AI. Relles previously spent a decade at YouTube, collaborating with the platform's most inventive creators and channels.

Before working at YouTube, Relles developed his YouTube chops as a creator himself, co-founding Vsauce (4 billion views) and the Key of Awesome (3 billion views), which gave him an early, firsthand understanding of what audiences want from video. Relles is also the founder of Good to Vote, a non-partisan voter registration campaign that has registered over 500,000 new voters to date.
About Make Believe: Make Believe is an AI media lab based in Venice, California. The company builds interactive, video-native experiences that turn passive viewers into active participants. Partnering with top-tier creators and public figures, as well as studios and brands, Make Believe utilizes a proprietary technology stack to scale human connection, wisdom, and utility through safe, authorized, and highly personalized media formats.

PRESS
Make Believe
press@makebelieve.co
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.