It's a “Whole New World.”
The Walt Disney Company announced Thursday that it has reached a three-year agreement with OpenAI to bring popular characters to the company's Sora AI video generator.
Disney also plans to invest $1 billion in the owners of ChatGPT. The company says it will also become a “major customer” of OpenAI and use its services to develop new products and experiences, including the Disney+ streaming service.
“Under this agreement, Disney and OpenAI affirm their shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects the safety of users and the rights of creators,” the companies said in a statement.
OpenAI also said it is committed to “implementing responsible measures to further address trust and safety, including age-appropriate policies.”
Disney said the characters included in the deal include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, the Beast, Cinderella, Big Hero 6, Simba and Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Head, Moana, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story, Up and Zootopia.
“Technological innovation continues to shape the evolution of entertainment, giving us new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger said in a news release.
“The rapid advances in artificial intelligence are a critical moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we are expanding the reach of storytelling through generative AI in a thoughtful and responsible way, while respecting and protecting creators and their work,” the release states.
“By bringing together Disney's iconic stories and characters with OpenAI's breakthrough technology, we are putting imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways never seen before, giving them a richer, more personal way to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love.”
Disney stock initially jumped on the news in pre-market trading, but by 9:15 a.m. ET, the stock was flat.
Disney also sent a cease-and-desist letter to OpenAI competitor Google on Wednesday in connection with Google's AI services' alleged infringement of Disney's copyrights.
Disney wrote in the letter that it believes Google is “infringing Disney's copyrights on a large scale.”
“Disney has expressed concerns to Google for months, but Google has taken no action in response,” Disney's lawyers also wrote. “Google's massive copyright infringement of Disney must be stopped.”
Disney said it is seeking “immediate action” from Google on the issue.
During Disney's Nov. 13 earnings call, Iger hinted that the company was working on contracts with AI companies, but did not mention specific companies.
“We've had some interesting conversations with some AI companies,” Iger said. “I would characterize some of them as very productive conversations.”
Iger said in these talks that Disney is “not only protecting the value of our intellectual property and creative engine, but also exploring opportunities to leverage our technology to increase engagement with consumers.”
