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

OpenAI has shut down its artificial intelligence (AI) video-generation app Sora less than two years after its launch made headlines for creating realistic clips based on simple prompts.

OpenAI told the BBC on Wednesday that is has discontinued Sora so that it can focus on other developments, such as robotics "that will help people solve real-world, physical tasks."

A spokesperson for The Walt Disney Company said "we respect OpenAI's decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere".

Disney will engage with other AI platforms to find ways to responsibly use the technology without infringing on intellectual property rights, a spokesperson said.

Sora launched in 2024 to huge interest around the world due to the high quality of its AI-generated videos. But the app also sparked concerns about copyright violations and the threat it posed to the media industry.