OpenAI and Disney end $1 billion partnership after Sora is closed
After OpenAI closed its AI-video platform Sora, Disney are now set to end their partnership with the company.
Less than a year ago, Sora had parts of Hollywood fearing for its future, but the industry’s death at the hands of generative AI appears to have been overstated, as OpenAI have now shut down their platform.
In a surprise statement, Sora said on March 24th, “We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you.”
The message regarding its closure continued, “What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing. We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work.”
Per the BBC, The Walt Disney Company is now stepping away from its relationship with OpenAI amid the closure of Sora.
A spokesperson for Disney told the aforementioned broadcaster that “we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere”.
They added to The Hollywood Reporter, “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.”
Despite creating headlines due to the quality of its output, Sora ran into many serious issues from its launch regarding the use of likenesses of actors without permission, which is why the Disney deal appeared to be a landmark move.
In December, Disney announced plans to make a $1 billion equity investment into OpenAI, which, as part of the agreement, would have allowed more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters to become available on Sora.
At the time, 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.”
Now, take a sigh of relief because a few months down the line, Sora is no more, and the AI-takeover of Hollywood has taken a giant step back.
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