OpenAI Launches an AI Video Social Network, Sora, in an Already Saturated Market

OpenAI unveiled a new mobile application called Sora on Tuesday, allowing users to create videos using artificial intelligence (AI), positioned as a social network.

Currently, it is only available to a limited number of users in the United States and Canada and relies on OpenAI's latest generative video model, Sora 2, which is the successor to the original Sora released in February 2024, adopting its name for this app.

Sora arrives less than a week after Meta Vibes, a new feature on the Meta AI app aimed at sharing AI-generated videos.

In mid-September, YouTube also introduced new tools for AI video generation, while AI content has become abundant on TikTok.

Each Sora user creates a profile similar to other social networks, displaying characteristics reminiscent of Twitter or Threads, including follower counts, likes, and usernames starting with an @ symbol.

In a demonstration video, OpenAI engineer Thomas Dimson described this setup as "a familiar interface if you've used social media before."

However, unlike TikTok or YouTube, "all content on Sora will be AI-generated." "It's not posted by 'bots' (automated fake accounts). It's uploaded by humans, but it's entirely created by AI."

"It gives an interesting impression," he noted, "different from anything I've used before. It feels like a new medium."

In the examples shown during the demonstration, OpenAI engineer Rohan Sahai created a highly realistic video of himself playing a match on the central court of the US Open tennis tournament, followed by a press conference after his fictitious victory.

The main idea is to produce AI-generated videos and also interact with content shared by friends.

The app allows users to insert someone into a video upon request, a feature called Cameo, with their permission.

"Many social networks tend to drift away from connections between friends and family members," Thomas Dimson argued. "We believe Sora can focus on that, as it makes creation really easy."

In an era of "deepfakes" and online misinformation, there are concerns about the proliferation of AI videos.

Regarding this, Rohan Sahai stated that Sora relies on models that "make it really hard to create harmful content" on the app and claimed a "conservative" approach to moderation.

OpenAI has not provided a date for the app's public launch.