OpenAI’s video generation app, Sora, has quickly captivated a vast number of users since its official launch, racking up over 1 million downloads in just five days. Bill Peebles, the head of the Sora team, shared on the X platform that the app’s download speed has even surpassed the record set by ChatGPT at its debut, even though it’s currently available only to users in the U.S. and Canada through an invite-only system.
Sora officially launched at the end of September, utilizing OpenAI’s latest Sora 2 video and audio generation model. This model is capable of handling a variety of complex movements and generating high-quality, cinematic and anime-style videos. Whether it’s the exquisite moves of Olympic gymnastics or a backflip on a surfboard, Sora can effortlessly showcase them, with all generated videos featuring synchronized sound effects. Users need to upload cameo short clips as personal portrait materials, after which they can easily generate AI videos through simple text commands, with the option to share portrait rights with other users.
According to analysis from an app analytics company, Sora achieved 627,000 downloads on the iOS platform within its first seven days, surpassing the 606,000 downloads recorded by ChatGPT at its launch. Taking into account that Sora currently operates on an invite-only model compared to ChatGPT’s public release, this highlights its remarkable growth. Furthermore, Sora has also risen to the top of the free apps chart in the Apple App Store for the US region.
However, the launch of Sora has sparked quite a bit of ethical controversy, with many users generating videos featuring deceased celebrities like Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, and Bruce Lee. Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, has publicly called for users to stop sharing AI-generated videos involving her father. While OpenAI currently prohibits unauthorized use of living public figures’ likenesses, there are fewer restrictions regarding deceased celebrities and fictional characters. Moreover, the platform does not require real-name verification for registration, allowing users to even sign up with fake names and avatars.
Media and creators have expressed concerns about the low-quality content from Sora, with many videos criticized as AI Slop, including unauthorized use of Japanese anime characters and inappropriate handling of violent content related to deceased celebrities. In response, OpenAI stated that they have established content policies prohibiting misleading content and fraudulent uses, and they will take action against any misuse. However, their safety measures are still not fully developed, with instances of content involving children still being generated, as well as requests for generation involving public figures like Martin Luther King Jr. Peebles mentioned that the team is working tirelessly to meet the growing user demand and plans to roll out new features to address existing issues.
