OpenAI ends Disney partnership as it closes Sora video-making app

OpenAI closes Sora and ends Disney partnership

OpenAI has shut down its artificial intelligence video-generation app Sora, less than two years after its launch drew global attention for creating realistic video clips from simple prompts.

At the same time, the company is also winding down its content partnership with Disney. OpenAI told the BBC on Wednesday that it had discontinued Sora so it could focus on other developments, including robotics that it said would help people solve real-world, physical tasks.

A spokesperson for The Walt Disney Company said it respected OpenAI's decision to leave the video-generation business and shift its priorities elsewhere.

Industry impact and concerns

When Sora launched in 2024, it generated huge interest around the world because of the quality of its AI-made videos. Its debut also sent shockwaves through the media industry.

But the tool quickly prompted concerns over copyright violations and the broader threat AI video generation could pose to media businesses.

Disney said it would now work with other AI platforms to explore how the technology could be used responsibly without infringing intellectual property rights.