OpenAI closes Sora video app amid fears over realistic deepfakes

OpenAI is discontinuing its social media application, Sora, which gained significant traction last autumn for its ability to generate short-form videos using artificial intelligence, yet simultaneously triggered considerable apprehension within Hollywood and beyond.

In a concise social media announcement on Tuesday, OpenAI confirmed it was "saying goodbye to the Sora app" and pledged to provide further details soon on how users could preserve their existing creations. The company acknowledged the impact on its users, stating: "What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing."

Launched in September, Sora represented OpenAI’s endeavour to capture the attention and potential advertising revenue associated with popular short-form video platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.

However, a growing chorus of advocacy groups, academics, and experts voiced profound concerns regarding the risks posed by allowing individuals to create AI videos from virtually any text prompt. This capability led to fears of proliferating nonconsensual imagery and highly realistic deepfakes, amidst a broader landscape of less harmful "AI slop."

OpenAI had previously been compelled to implement stricter controls on AI-generated depictions of public figures – including Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mister Rogers – engaging in outlandish scenarios, following significant backlash from family estates and an actors’ union.

Disney, which had partnered with OpenAI last year to integrate its characters into Sora, issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its respect for "OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere."

The statement added: "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."