Like the hit chatbot ChatGpt, Openai pitches Sora as the “next big thing” for consumer AI. This app allows anyone to generate 10-second clips from a text prompt, add synced sounds and dialogs, and even insert them into the video using AI avatars and audio. A feature called cameo allows users to create realistic versions of themselves. This can be dropped into scenes you or your friends make.
However, the launch is controversial. Sora's video feeds can attract copyrighted content unless creators opt out. This is the policy that has already caused a pushback from Hollywood. Disney, for example, chose to bring the material into the app, according to people familiar with the issue. Openai has been in discussion with the studio for several weeks, framing the approach as an extension of its previous attitude towards AI image generation.
The company also lobbys the Trump administration, classifying training AI on copyrighted works as fair use, claiming it is also important to the US competitiveness and national security. That stance, and the current release of Sora, could encourage more discussion about creative work and the future of AI.
To address misuse, according to Openai, Sora includes a safeguard. Users cannot generate videos of public figures or others without their consent. Similarity is only available when an individual uploads his or her cameo. The video is see through to show that it is being generated by AI, and screen recording is disabled to restrict uncontrolled sharing.
Beyond rights disputes, Sora is also the answer to her rivals. Alphabet's Google, Runway AI, Midjourney, Tiktok and Meta (with “vibe” feed) all race to dominate the AI video space. Analysts see Sora as a direct competitor of the social platform and a potential driver for Openai's new ad-based revenue.
Still, Openai is pitching Sora as more than just another content app. The updated SORA 2 engine is designed to fix the weaknesses of AI video, making clips more realistic by adhering to physics, improving scene transitions, and synchronizing visuals and sounds. It can handle complex shots like you're backflips on a paddle board with the right fluid dynamics.
For now, the video concludes with 10 seconds, but the company suggests greater ambitions. With 700 million people already using ChatGpt weekly, Openai bets that Sora can do what the chatbots have done for the generated text for AI videos.
The app is free to use at launch and will be expanded to Android later. Openai is deploying Sora 2 on its website Sora.com for those who want to try out the underlying video technology outside of their social feeds.
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(edit: Asmita Pant))
