OpenAI shuts down Sora AI video app after backlash
OpenAI has announced it is shutting down its social media app Sora, which gained viral popularity last fall as a platform for sharing short-form videos generated by artificial intelligence, while also sparking concern across Hollywood and beyond.
In a brief statement, OpenAI said it was “saying goodbye to the Sora app” and added that more details would soon be shared on how users can preserve content they created on the platform, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing,” the company stated.
The developer of ChatGPT launched Sora in September in an effort to capture user attention—and potentially advertising revenue—from the booming short-form video market dominated by platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.
However, the app quickly drew criticism from advocacy groups, academics and industry experts, who warned about the risks of allowing users to generate AI videos from simple text prompts. Concerns centered on the spread of nonconsensual imagery and increasingly realistic deepfakes, alongside a flood of lower-quality AI-generated content.
OpenAI later imposed restrictions on content involving public figures following backlash. Among those affected were depictions of Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mister Rogers in fabricated or exaggerated scenarios, prompting objections from family estates and an actors’ union.
The Walt Disney Company, which had previously partnered with OpenAI to bring its characters to Sora, said it respects the decision to discontinue the app and shift priorities. In a statement, Disney noted it values the collaboration and will continue exploring responsible ways to use AI technologies while protecting intellectual property and creators’ rights.
News.Az
By Nijat Babayev
