OpenAI Discontinuing Sora AI Video App

[MacRumors]

OpenAI today said that it is ending support for its Sora AI video app just six months after it initially launched.

We're saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.

OpenAI did not provide more detail into why Sora is being discontinued, but the company said that it plans to share more soon, including specific information on when the app and API will be shut down. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees that ending Sora will free up resources for OpenAI's next-generation AI models, according to The Information.

Sora generates AI videos of real people, with each user uploading a "cameo" or short video of themselves that's used as the basis for AI prompts. Users are able to share their cameos with others, allowing anyone on the app to generate AI video with their likeness.

When it launched at the end of September 2025, Sora gained viral popularity. It was downloaded more than a million times just a week and a half after launch, reaching the milestone faster than ChatGPT, and for a period of time, it was the top free app on the App Store.

OpenAI received criticism for deepfake videos featuring celebrities both dead and alive, and the company stopped allowing users to create videos featuring celebrity likenesses or voices without express consent. The guardrails that OpenAI put in place killed some of the interest in the app, and its popularity died down.

Article Link: OpenAI Discontinuing Sora AI Video App

 

[MacUserFella]

The 9 Sora users are absolutely bawling their eyes out

 

[Kidseeghost]

…

 

[Darkwalker]

Probably too much competition

 

[UltimaKilo]

Really sucks. Sora was, by far, the best on the market for a long time and the videos there were hilarious.

 

[AppleWes]

Tried of getting AI slop videos shared, hopefully people will wake up someday.

Call me old or "get off my lawn" attitude all you want but have literally had family share videos of totally fake events thinking it's real. Needs to stop.

 

[loupetron]

I assume they looked at the bill for all the processing done on a free app in quarter end, and went "Wait, we aren't able to datamine fake videos. And it costs us more for everyone to use it. Shut it down!"

 

[Kidseeghost]

…

 

[Scooby_Snacks]

Good, we're in a water crisis and frivolous use of AI resources for producing this kind of slop is totally unnecessary.

 

[Rayansb]

So sick of this AI BS.

 

[gothicgeek]

This is actually good news IMHO, the whole idea of an app with 100% AI generated content is a step too far and really a waste of the potential of AI. The focus on coding I think will be much more lucrative and game changing in the long run.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Really sucks. Sora was, by far, the best on the market for a long time and the videos there were hilarious.

And that's the problem: the technology wasn't used in any meaningful way.

Yes entertainment has a value, but to police innocent fun against some quite scary and frankly sad videos is not a good business position. This is the point at which the AI bubble bursts, because you're offering a Pandora's box only to realise that people use it in all the (morally) wrong ways.

 

[Icehawk]

The bigger news, imo, is Disney pulled out of their deal with OpenAI.

 

[svish]

Interesting. Was thinking that it will be available in more countries but very surprised to hear this.

 

[hasanahmad]

somehow someone in this thread will blame Apple and say Tim Cook should be fired for not delivering on AI

 

[Kidseeghost]

…

 

[STOCK411]

It lasted longer than New Coke.

So I guess they could claim it was a sucess


/s

 

[AppleWes]

somehow someone in this thread will blame Apple and say Tim Cook should be fired for not delivering on AI

Are you referring to Apple Intelligence or Artificial Intelligence? 😉

Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is for the everyday and it‘s deeply integrated into iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro with groundbreaking privacy.

www.apple.com

 

[MrRom92]

I’m so glad he added his likeness to the app

 

[sw1tcher]

OpenAI did not provide more detail into why Sora is being discontinued

They realized how far behind they were compared to Chinese apps such as Seedance.

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A stunning viral video of Cruise vs. Pitt has 'Deadpool & Wolverine' screenwriter warning "Hollywood is about to be revolutionized/decimated," as MPA calls for the company to cease its "infringing activity."

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[sw1tcher]

The bigger news, imo, is Disney pulled out of their deal with OpenAI.

Disney didn't pull out. OpenAI is killing Sora. No Sora means Disney cannot continue with their investment.

Sora Shutting Down, Meaning Disney's OpenAI Investment Is Dead

Disney's much heralded $1 billion investment in OpenAI is over as the Sam Altman-led tech giant shuttered its stand-alone Sora text-to-video app.

deadline.com

Disney‘s much heralded $1 billion investment in OpenAI is over as the Sam Altman-led tech giant will be shuttering its standalone Sora text-to-video app.

“The deal is not moving forward,” an insider tells Deadline of the agreement then-House of Mouse CEO Bob Iger reached last year with Altman.

It is unclear how much of the $1 billion Disney had handed over to the IPO-inclined OpenAI and when and how they would be getting the money back — if at all. It looks dicey that the AI start-up will continue to have access to license 250 Disney characters, which they were set to pay the Burbank-based media giant for.

The big bucks injection late last year from Disney looked to reset the IP battle between artificial intelligence and Hollywood by permitting iconic characters from Frozen, Star Wars and the Marvel multiverse to be used on the generative AI video app. The three-year deal with OpenAI was supposed to make the leap to hyperspace this spring, Iger and other Disney brass boasted on a February earnings call.

Today, that all went in the digital trash, as OpenAI said it was pulling the plug on Sora.

 

[jz0309]

OpenAI did not provide more detail into why Sora is being discontinued,

Hmm, maybe money? They're losing money left and right ...

 

[Capeto]

Good riddance to this garbage. Hopefully the rest of the generative AI bubble can follow suit soon.

 

[wilhoitm]

Wow, I did not see OpenAI cancelling Sora! Again, Apple is not behind on AI, they are ahead!

 

[Evagoras2001]

It would be useful to mention to people that OpenAI has plans to incorporate video generation into their ChatGPT app instead of making people think that video generation is discontinued.