OpenAI’s controversial text-to-video tool Sora is being made available to the public

OpenAI’s controversial text-to-video artificial intelligence tool Sora sent shockwaves across the entertainment industry when the company unveiled it earlier this year.

The technology promised to revolutionize filmmaking by automatically creating short films based on written commands. For example, users could enter descriptions such as “A stylish woman walks down a street in Tokyo,” and Sora would provide videos up to 60 seconds long based on that information. Workers feared this was the start of a future in which AI displaces jobs across Hollywood.

However, until now Sora was only available to people involved in research, testing and previews for artists.

On Monday, Sora faces its next big test as OpenAI, best known for the ChatGPT text bot, opens it to the general public. In the US, consumers can use Sora with a ChatGPT Plus subscription, which costs $20 per month. Up to 50 videos can be created with a length of up to 20 seconds. Customers can get more Sora usage, higher resolution, and longer videos with a ChatGPT Pro subscription.

OpenAI executives say Sora will open up new opportunities for artists and creatives.

“We really believe Sora can open doors for people to visually explore and share their creativity, especially without extensive resources or training,” said Souki Mansoor, head of the Sora artist program for OpenAI, in an interview. “As we know, filmmaking is very expensive.”

The tool will be accessible to those aged 18 and over when ChatGPT is available, with the exception of the United Kingdom, Switzerland and countries in the European Economic Area. OpenAI said it is working to enable Sora in these locations. The company is also preparing a free version of Sora.

AI is a major source of tension in the entertainment industry. This was a central theme in last year’s strikes by actors and writers seeking protection from the emerging technology as part of their contract negotiations.

Many have also raised concerns about how AI models are trained and whether intellectual property rights holders and artists are compensated fairly or at all for content processed by the powerful technology.

Entertainment companies are now exploring partnerships with AI startups to save money.

Mansoor said OpenAI is sensitive to concerns raised by creatives about possible job losses, but remains optimistic about the opportunities.

“Sora is designed to be a creative collaborator, so the hope is that it will help artists bring very ambitious projects to life without expensive resources,” Mansoor said. “We believe this raises the bar for what is possible in video creation.”

Proponents of Sora say it could help artists test bold ideas without as many budget constraints. Alexia Adana, a New York-based creative director and visual artist, argued that this could enable more stories from people, including underrepresented creators, who lack funding or equipment.

“We live in an age where you can create anything and learn anything, either for free or at very low cost,” said Adana, who had early access to Sora. “This is an exciting time for people who normally wouldn’t have the resources to realize their vision.”

Adana used Sora to develop a film concept called “Bloomchild,” which features a child made of dirt and dirt who blooms and struggles to fit in. She said it was influenced by her own experiences as a Jamaican woman growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut.

“With one tool I can create an entire trailer,” Adana said. “I would never have been able to do that before.”

Indie-pop artist Washed Out used Sora to create a music video. The director said the tool allows him to show scenes from multiple locations at a fraction of the cost of filming on location. Meanwhile, a video explaining the origins of Toys R Us was 80% made with Sora, said Nik Kleverov, chief creative officer of Native Foreign, a Culver City-based creative agency and production company.

OpenAI said Sora will take security measures to prevent misuse of the tool, such as child nudity.

Rohan Sahai, Sora’s technical lead, said OpenAI has done “a lot of security work to better understand how we prevent abuse” since Sora was first announced in February.

Some artists are upset with how OpenAI tested and developed Sora. Last month, a group of artists expressed concerns in an online letter about how many creators they believe are being abused to test and promote the technology without adequate compensation.

The open letter has received more than 1,170 signatures, including from London artist Jake Elwes.

“While hundreds contribute for free, a select few are selected through a competition to have their Sora-created films screened – offering minimal compensation that pales in comparison to the significant PR and marketing value OpenAI receives,” the artists wrote .

Mansoor said the group’s comments had no impact on the timing of Sora’s launch. She said the company is focused on providing early access to artists who would be most impacted by tools like Sora and giving them the opportunity to help shape the tool’s development.

“There was no obligation to even use the tool, let alone provide feedback,” she said.

Mansoor said she comes from the creative industry and has spent more than a decade in independent filmmaking. “I came to OpenAI to create the type of experiences I would have wanted in the industry,” she said.

Kleverov said the concerns expressed in the letter did not reflect the views of the initial testers. “The AI ​​world is already so small and then the world, those of us who play with Sora, is such a supportive space,” he said.

Walter Woodman, director and co-founder of the Toronto and L.A.-based production company Shy Kids, said that once people experience Sora, “everyone will see that it’s not a panacea.” Shy Kids has used Sora to work on short films like “My Love.” .

Many developers who have used AI tools say that it takes time to get comfortable with the tools and that the technology has significant limitations.

“Sora can help, much like a camera, editing equipment or a great performance,” Woodman said in an email. “But without great storytelling and storytellers, it will just be a tool on the shelf. However, the talent is in for a creative awakening.”