Key points
- Generates realistic videos from text prompts
- Faces backlash over copyright and deepfakes
- Depicts deceased celebrities, raising ethical concerns
ISLAMABAD: OpenAI has announced that the latest version of its text-to-video artificial intelligence tool, Sora, has been downloaded over a million times in less than five days, reaching this milestone even faster than ChatGPT did at its launch.
The app, which currently tops the Apple App Store charts in the United States, produces ten-second realistic videos from simple text prompts. The figures were shared in an X post by Sora boss Bill Peebles, who described the “surging growth” as impressive, given the app is only accessible to invited users in North America, reports the BBC.
However, Sora’s rapid rise has sparked significant criticism, particularly regarding its use of copyrighted material and depictions of deceased public figures. The app allows users to easily post their AI-generated videos to social media, leading to a wave of clips appearing across online platforms. Some have featured dead celebrities, including Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur.
Sora’s growing popularity
Recently, Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, appealed to the public to stop sending her AI-generated videos of her father, who died in 2014. Reports have linked her plea to Sora’s growing popularity.
An OpenAI spokesperson told Axios via email that there were “strong free speech interests” in allowing the depiction of historical figures. However, the spokesperson added that for public figures who were “recently deceased”, authorized individuals could request that their likeness not be used — though they did not clarify what constitutes “recent”.
Sora has also faced scrutiny for copyright-related issues, as many videos include characters from films, television, and video games. In one deepfake video, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appears alongside Pokémon characters, joking, “I hope Nintendo doesn’t sue us,” according to CNBC. In another viral clip, he is shown grilling and eating Pikachu.
Plans for future revenue-sharing
Although Nintendo has not indicated any plans to take legal action, OpenAI and several other AI companies are already involved in lawsuits with creators and rights holders over the use of their works in training AI models.
The financial stakes are high: AI firm Anthropic recently agreed to pay $1.5bn (£1.11bn) to settle a lawsuit filed by authors claiming their works were used without permission.
OpenAI says it is adjusting its policies in response. In a 4 October blog post, Sam Altman wrote that the company had been “learning quickly from how people are using Sora” and would “give rights holders more granular control over generation of characters”. He also mentioned plans for future revenue-sharing.
Whether rights holders will view Sora videos as “interactive fan fiction”, as Altman suggested, or pursue legal action remains to be seen.
