OpenAI shutting down Sora video app; Disney stepping away from billion dollar deal

OpenAI has announced it will shut down its Sora AI video app, just a few months after the latest model was launched. Additionally, Disney is also exiting the deal it signed with OpenAI last year. The studio was going to invest a staggering $1 billion in the AI company and even agreed to license some of its characters from popular properties such as Star Wars, Frozen, and others.

OpenAI & Disney on Sora

“We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you,” the company said in a statement. “What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing. We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work.“

A Disney spokesperson added, “As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere. We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.“

Sora Shocked Hollywood…at First

When Sora 2.0 launched last fall, users quickly used the generative AI tool to create new scenes from movies and TV shows. The results were (mostly) impressive and went viral on social media, but just days later, the company was forced to backtrack amid studio outrage. The potential deal with Disney seemed like a way forward, but apparently not.

Seedance 2.0

Even before Sora shut down, the latest AI video generation tool had already arrived. ByteDance, the Chinese tech company behind TikTok, launched Seedance 2.0. The realism on display was striking enough that some in Hollywood reportedly warned that it’s “likely over for us.” The videos which were generated were quite something, such as the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fight scene, but once again, Hollywood was quick to fight back. In response, the company promised it would take steps to “strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.“

The post OpenAI shutting down Sora video app; Disney stepping away from billion dollar deal appeared first on JoBlo.