In a surprise move on Tuesday, 24th March, OpenAI announced it is shutting down its AI video generator, Sora, just months after heavily promoting the platform. The decision comes barely six months after the company launched a standalone app that allowed users to create and share highly realistic AI-generated videos through a social-style feed.
“To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built a community around it, thank you,” OpenAI said in a post on X. “What you made with Sora mattered, and we understand this news may be disappointing.”
Sora was first introduced to the public in late 2024, but it gained widespread attention following the release of Sora 2 and its dedicated app last September. Within days of launch, the app surged to the top of the Apple App Store rankings. Users quickly flooded the platform with creative and often bizarre clips, ranging from imagined scenarios like Diana, Princess of Wales performing parkour to surreal videos of animals behaving like humans.
However, the tool also drew criticism for problematic content, including violent and racially insensitive videos, as well as concerns around deepfakes, misinformation, and the unauthorized use of copyrighted characters.
Notably, OpenAI had given little indication that Sora was nearing its end. Just a day before the announcement, the company published a blog post outlining ongoing efforts to improve safety on the platform, including stronger safeguards against harmful material such as explicit content, extremist propaganda, and self-harm-related media.
The shutdown also follows closely on the heels of a high-profile partnership between OpenAI and The Walt Disney Company. The deal, signed just three months ago, allowed Sora users to create videos using more than 200 licensed characters from franchises like Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. A Disney spokesperson confirmed that the company will now end its collaboration with OpenAI.
“As the AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to step away from video generation and redirect its focus,” the spokesperson said.
The statement added that while the partnership is ending, the company remains open to exploring future collaborations with AI platforms in ways that balance innovation with the protection of intellectual property and creators’ rights.
OpenAI said it will soon provide more details on the timeline for Sora’s shutdown, as well as guidance for users on how to download and preserve their existing content.
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