Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and allow characters to be used in Sora
Disney has confirmed a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI.
As a result of the new agreement, more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters will become available to access on OpenAI’s video-generation tool, Sora.
This is part of a three-year licensing agreement, which will also see a selection of these fan-inspired Sora short-form videos available to stream on Disney+.
In a press release, Disney said it will use OpenAI’s application programming interfaces “to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+”. They also confirmed plans to begin “deploying ChatGPT for its employees”.
Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, said in a statement, “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world.”
Iger continued, “The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.”
He went on to claim this will put “imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before”, which he says will provide audiences with “richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love”.
Meanwhile, Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, labelled Disney as “the global gold standard for storytelling” and said the deal will “expand the way people create and experience great content”.
Altman added, “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”
Users will also be able to generate AI content of Disney characters on ChatGPT Images, as well as Sora, from early 2026.
The announcement comes days after Leonardo DiCaprio questioned whether AI would ever be capable of creating meaningful art, stating to Time, “I think anything that is going to be authentically thought of as art has to come from the human being.”
DiCaprio used AI-music as an example of the tool being used incorrectly, adding, “Haven’t you heard these songs that are mashups that are just absolutely brilliant and you go, ‘Oh my God, this is Michael Jackson doing the Weeknd,’ or ‘This is funk from the A Tribe Called Quest song ‘Bonita Applebum,’ done in, you know, a sort of Al Green soul-song voice, and it’s brilliant.’ And you go, ‘Cool.’ But then it gets its 15 minutes of fame and it just dissipates into the ether of other internet junk.”
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