OpenAI has shut down its artificial intelligence (AI) video-generation app Sora less than two years after its launch made headlines for creating realistic clips based on simple prompts.
At the same time, OpenAI will also wind down its content partnership with entertainment giant Disney, the BBC understands.
OpenAI told the BBC on Wednesday that it has discontinued Sora to focus on other developments, such as robotics that will help people solve real-world, physical tasks. A spokesperson for Disney commented, we respect OpenAI's decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere.
Disney plans to engage with other AI platforms to responsibly harness AI technology without violating intellectual property rights.
OpenAI announced that both the consumer app and the professional platform for Sora will be closed, ending its focus on video generation entirely.
This decision will enable OpenAI to redirect its efforts into creating advanced AI technologies, including autonomous systems capable of completing tasks with minimal human intervention. The same technology that helped Sora create realistic videos will be adapted for training robots.
Despite Sora's closure, OpenAI's image-making tools on ChatGPT remain unaffected.
Each phase of Sora's lifecycle triggered excitement and concern within the creative industries, particularly focused on copyright violations and the potential threat to media jobs.
In December 2024, Disney had licensed intellectual property (IP) to OpenAI for two years, allowing Sora users to create videos featuring Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Yoda. This ground-breaking deal had been viewed as a pivotal moment for both the tech sector and Hollywood, which had been battling with AI firms over intellectual property usage.
As competition surges within the AI video-making sector, rivals such as China's Seedance have emerged, driving the industry toward complexities surrounding the ethical and legal use of generative technology.
