OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video Generation Model, Redirects Team to World Models and Robotics
OpenAI is discontinuing its Sora video generation model, with web/app access ending April 26 and API access closing September 24, 2026. The model was losing roughly $1 million per day, with daily active users falling below 500,000 after peaking at 1 million post-mobile launch. The Sora team will be redirected to longer-term projects including world models and robotics, while compute resources have already been diverted to a new coding/enterprise model codenamed Spud. The shutdown also effectively ends OpenAI's high-profile partnership with Disney, which had planned to invest up to $1 billion contingent on Sora integration.
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Sora Video Generation Model Launches at sora.com
OpenAI has publicly launched Sora, its video generation model, available at sora.com. The model supports video generation up to 1080p resolution and 20 seconds in length, with widescreen, vertical, and square aspect ratios. Users can generate content from text prompts or bring existing assets to extend, remix, and blend.
Data Points: OpenAI shuts down Sora, Anthropic multi-agent harness, EVA voice benchmark, Arm AGI CPU, White House AI preemption proposal
OpenAI is shutting down its Sora text-to-video platform without explanation, ending a major Disney licensing deal worth up to $1 billion and eliminating video capabilities from ChatGPT amid Hollywood copyright tensions. Anthropic published details on a multi-agent harness enabling Claude to build full-stack applications over multi-hour sessions using a planner-generator-evaluator architecture. ServiceNow AI Research released EVA, an open-source two-dimensional benchmark for voice agents measuring both task accuracy and conversational experience quality. Additional items cover Arm's first self-designed data center CPU (AGI CPU) co-developed with Meta, and the Trump Administration's legislative proposal for a federal AI framework that would preempt state AI laws.
ByteDance Deploys Seedance 2.0 Video Model to CapCut's 736M Users as OpenAI Shutters Sora
ByteDance has integrated Seedance 2.0, its multimodal video generation model, into CapCut for paying users across multiple global regions, reaching a platform with approximately 736 million monthly active users. The model supports text, image, audio, and video inputs, generates synchronized audio-video output in a single pass including multi-shot sequences, and ranks in the top two on Arena AI and Artificial Analysis video leaderboards, with Alibaba's HappyHorse-1.0 as its closest competitor. Simultaneously, OpenAI is discontinuing the Sora app and API after daily active users fell below 500,000 and operating costs reached an estimated $1 million per day. The contrast illustrates a broader market shift where Chinese developers are accelerating video model releases while U.S. consumer video products retreat.
Sora 2 is here
OpenAI has released Sora 2, its latest video generation model, claiming improvements in physical accuracy, realism, and controllability over prior versions. The model introduces synchronized dialogue and sound effects as new capabilities. It is available through a new dedicated Sora app.
Creating with Sora Safely
OpenAI published a safety overview for Sora 2 and the Sora app, describing the safety measures built into both the video generation model and its associated social creation platform. The post outlines concrete protections designed to address novel risks posed by state-of-the-art video generation. This represents OpenAI's public safety framing for the Sora 2 launch.
Sora System Card
OpenAI has published the system card for Sora, its video generation model capable of accepting text, image, and video inputs to produce video outputs. The model builds on techniques from DALL-E and GPT and is positioned as a creative storytelling tool. The system card documents safety evaluations, mitigations, and residual risks associated with the model's deployment.
Disney and OpenAI Reach Agreement to Bring 200+ Characters to Sora
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI have announced a partnership granting access to over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars franchises for use in Sora-generated fan short videos. The deal also includes Disney's enterprise-wide adoption of ChatGPT Enterprise and the OpenAI API. The agreement is framed around responsible AI use in entertainment.
Launching Sora Responsibly: OpenAI's Safety Approach for Sora 2 and the Sora App
OpenAI has published a safety-focused announcement accompanying the launch of Sora 2 and the Sora social creation platform. The post outlines concrete safety protections built into both the model and the app to address novel risks posed by a state-of-the-art video generation system. The framing positions safety as foundational to the product design rather than a post-hoc addition.