Sora, an AI video-generation tool developed by OpenAI, is now available.

• In February, Sora was introduced by OpenAI, which gained widespread attention due to the success of ChatGPT the previous year.
• Sora, an AI video-generation model, functions similarly to DALL-E, an image-generation AI tool from OpenAI. By inputting a desired scene, the user will receive a high-definition video clip.

Later today, OpenAI will release its highly anticipated AI video-generation tool, Sora.

Sora, an AI video-generation model developed by a Microsoft-backed startup, works similarly to OpenAI's DALL-E and can generate high-definition video clips based on user input. It can also create video clips inspired by still images, extend existing videos, or fill in missing frames. Sora was introduced to the public in February and gained popularity due to the viral success of ChatGPT.

The tool will be launched to U.S. users and most countries internationally later today, as announced by OpenAI's YouTube livestream. However, the company has not yet set a timeline for launching the tool in Europe, the U.K., and some other countries.

OpenAI announced that users won't have to pay extra for the new tool, which will be included in existing paid ChatGPT accounts. During the livestream, employees and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman showcased features such as "Blend" and the ability to make an AI-generated video endlessly repeat.

Sora has been primarily accessible to a limited number of safety testers, commonly referred to as "red-teamers," who evaluate the model's vulnerabilities in areas such as misinformation and bias.

In October, Reddit users queried OpenAI executives about Sora's release date, wondering if it was being delayed due to the complexity of inference or safety concerns. In response, OpenAI's product chief Kevin Weil stated that the team needed to refine the model, address safety and impersonation issues, and increase compute capacity.

One employee on the livestream stated that OpenAI has a large target on its back, but the company aims to strike a balance between that and creativity in launching Sora.

In October, OpenAI concluded its latest funding round at a valuation of $157 billion, with $6.6 billion raised from a diverse group of investors and Big Tech companies. Additionally, the company secured a $4 billion revolving line of credit, increasing its total liquidity to over $10 billion.

OpenAI is working on a growth plan as it competes with Anthropic, Elon Musk's xAI, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon for the largest share of the generative AI market, which is predicted to reach $1 trillion in revenue within a decade.

This month, OpenAI appointed its first chief marketing officer, signaling its intention to increase marketing efforts to expand its user base. Additionally, OpenAI launched a search feature within ChatGPT in October, which could help it better compete with search engines like Google, Microsoft's Bing, and Perplexity, potentially attracting more users who would otherwise visit those sites to search the web.

Sora, the ChatGPT maker, aims to compete with video-generation AI tools from companies such as Meta and Google, which announced Lumiere in January. Similar AI tools are available from other startups, such as Stability AI's Stable Video Diffusion. Additionally, Amazon has released Create with Alexa, a model that specializes in generating prompt-based short-form animated children's content.

As AI-generated deepfakes have increased by 900% year over year, the rise of video as the next frontier for generative AI presents both creative opportunities and serious misinformation concerns, particularly during major political elections.

In its pursuit of a more comprehensive range of AI models, OpenAI has prioritized multimodality, which involves blending text, image, and video generation.

Protests led to the release of Sora, as a leaked copy of the AI model sparked concerns about its treatment of artists.

An open letter published by some members of OpenAI's early access program for Sora in late November criticized the organization for not being transparent enough and not providing adequate support for the arts beyond marketing.

"The protestors' open letter to the corporate AI overlords stated that they were promised early access to Sora as testers and creative partners. However, they believe that instead of being true partners, they are being used for "art washing" to promote Sora as a useful tool for artists."

OpenAI received substantial PR and marketing value from hundreds of artists who provided unpaid labor for the company through bug testing and feedback on Sora. A select few will be chosen through a competition to have their Sora-created films screened, offering minimal compensation.

"The open letter stated that we are not against the use of AI technology as a tool for the arts, but we disagree with the way the artist program has been rolled out and the tool's development ahead of a possible public release. We are sharing this to encourage OpenAI to become more open, artist-friendly, and support the arts beyond PR stunts."

In November, an OpenAI representative issued a statement to CNBC regarding the protesters' actions.

"At the time, the OpenAI spokesperson stated that hundreds of artists in our alpha have contributed to Sora's development by prioritizing new features and safeguards. Participation is voluntary, with no obligation to provide feedback or use the tool. We are thrilled to offer these artists free access and will continue supporting them through grants, events, and other programs."