SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Sora is ChatGPT maker OpenAI’s new text-to-video generator. Here’s what we know about the new tool

Feb 16, 2024, 12:22 PM | Updated: 12:40 pm

FILE - The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cell phone with an image on a computer monitor generated b...

FILE - The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cell phone with an image on a computer monitor generated by ChatGPT's Dall-E text-to-image model, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Boston. The maker of ChatGPT is now diving into the world of AI-generated video. Meet Sora — OpenAI’s new text-to-video generator. The tool, which the San Francisco-based company unveiled on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2024 uses generative artificial intelligence to instantly create short videos based on written commands. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The maker of ChatGPT is now diving into AI-generated video.

Meet Sora — OpenAI’s new text-to-video generator. The tool, which the San Francisco company unveiled Thursday, uses generative artificial intelligence to instantly create short videos based on written commands.

Sora isn’t the first to demonstrate this kind of technology. But industry analysts point to the high quality of the tool’s videos displayed so far, and note that its introduction marks a significant leap for both OpenAI and the future of text-to-video generation overall.

Still, as with all things in the rapidly-growing AI space today, such technology also raises fears about potential ethical and societal implications. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Sora? Can I use it yet?

Sora is a text-to-video generator — creating videos up to 60 seconds long based on written prompts using generative AI. The model can also generate video from an existing still image.

Generative AI is a branch of AI that can create something new. Examples include chatbots, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and image-generators such as DALL-E and Midjourney. Getting an AI system to generate videos is newer and more challenging but relies on some of the same technology.

 

Post by @rpnickson
View on Threads

 

Sora isn’t available for public use yet (OpenAI says it’s engaging with policymakers and artists before officially releasing the tool) and there’s a lot we still don’t know. But since Thursday’s announcement, the company has shared a handful of examples of Sora-generated videos to show off what it can do.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to ask social media users to send in prompt ideas. He later shared realistically-detailed videos that responded to prompts like “two golden retrievers podcasting on top of a mountain ” and “a bicycle race on ocean with different animals as athletes riding the bicycles with drone camera view.”

While Sora-generated videos are able to depict complex, incredibly-detailed scenes, OpenAI notes that there are still some weaknesses — including some spatial and cause-and-effect elements. For example, OpenAI adds on its website, “a person might take a bite out of a cookie, but afterward, the cookie may not have a bite mark.”

Are there other AI-generated video tools out there today?

OpenAI’s Sora isn’t the first of its kind. Google, Meta and the startup Runway ML are among the other companies to have demonstrated similar technology.

Still, industry analysts stress the apparent quality and and impressive length of Sora videos shared so far. Fred Havemeyer, head of U.S. AI and software research at Macquarie, said that Sora’s launch marks a big step forward for the industry.

“Not only can you do longer videos, I understand up to 60 seconds, but also the videos being created look more normal and seem to actually respect physics and the real world more,” Havemeyer said. “You’re not getting as many ‘uncanny valley’ videos or fragments on the video feeds that look … unnatural.”

While there has been “tremendous progress” in AI-generated video over the last year — including Stable Video Diffusion’s introduction last November — Forrester senior analyst Rowan Curran said such videos have required more “stitching together” for character and scene consistency.

The consistency and length of Sora’s videos, however, represents “new opportunities for creatives to incorporate elements of AI-generated video into more traditional content, and now even to generate full-blown narrative videos from one or a few prompts,” Curran told The Associated Press via email Friday.

What are the potential risks?

Although Sora’s abilities have astounded observers since Thursday’s launch, anxiety over ethical and societal implications of AI-generated video uses also remains.

Havemeyer points to the substantial risks in 2024’s potentially-fraught election cycle, for example. Having a “potentially magical” way to generate videos that may look and sound realistic presents a number of issues within politics and beyond, he added — pointing to fraud, propaganda and misinformation concerns.

 

Post by @bloombergopinion
View on Threads

 

“The negative externalities of generative AI will be a critical topic for debate in 2024,” Havemeyer said. “It’s a substantial issue that every business and every person will need to face this year.”

Tech companies are still calling the shots when it comes to governing AI and its risks as governments around the world work to catch up. In December, the European Union reached a deal on the world’s first comprehensive AI rules, but the act won’t take effect until two years after final approval.

On Thursday, OpenAI said it was taking important safety steps before making Sora widely available.

“We are working with red teamers — domain experts in areas like misinformation, hateful content, and bias — who will be adversarialy testing the model,” the company wrote. “We’re also building tools to help detect misleading content such as a detection classifier that can tell when a video was generated by Sora.”

OpenAI’s vice president of global affairs Anna Makanju reiterated this when speaking Friday at the Munich Security Conference, where OpenAI and 19 other technology companies pledged to voluntarily work together to combat AI-generated election deepfakes. She noted the company was releasing Sora “in a manner that is quite cautious.”

At the same time, OpenAI has revealed limited information about how Sora was built. OpenAI’s technical report did not disclose what imagery and video sources were used to train Sora — and the company did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for further comment Friday.

The Sora release also arrives amid the backdrop of lawsuits against OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft by some authors and The New York Times over its use of copyrighted works of writing to train ChatGPT. OpenAI pays an undisclosed fee to The Associated Press to license its text news archive.


O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

 

KSL 5 TV Live

Science & Technology

STARBASE Hill...

Debbie Worthen

STARBASE Hill program in Utah shuts down due to massive funding reduction

A Department of Defense youth program is the latest victim of budget cuts on Washington’s Capitol Hill, and thousands of Utah children will feel the impact.

1 day ago

This May 18, 1969, photo provided by NASA shows Earth from 36,000 nautical miles away as photograph...

Marcia Dunn, Associated Press

Newly spotted asteroid has a tiny chance of hitting Earth in 2032

A newly discovered asteroid has a tiny chance of smacking Earth in 2032, space agency officials said Wednesday.

5 days ago

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 30: In this photo illustration, social media networking apps are di...

Daniel Woodruff

Utah Senate committee approves requiring app stores to verify users’ ages

Children and smartphones took center stage at the Utah Capitol Tuesday as a Senate committee voted unanimously to require app stores to verify the ages of users.

10 days ago

Former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, second from left, and Bulletin of the Atomic Scienti...

Associated Press

‘Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight amid threats

Earth is moving closer to destruction, a science-oriented advocacy group said Tuesday as it advanced its famous “Doomsday Clock” to 89 seconds till midnight, the closest it has ever been.

10 days ago

A surprisingly efficient and powerful Chinese AI model has taken the technology industry by storm. ...

David Goldman, CNN

What is DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup that shook the tech world?

A surprisingly efficient and powerful Chinese AI model has taken the technology industry by storm. It’s called DeepSeek R1, and it’s rattling nerves on Wall Street.

11 days ago

The exterior of the Salt Lake City Public Library in Salt Lake City on July 27, 2021. Salt Lake Cit...

Carter Williams, KSL.com

Salt Lake City eyes this location for the start of Green Loop project

A "linear park" that could circle downtown Salt Lake City within the next decade has taken another step toward reality.

11 days ago

Sponsored Articles

holiday gift basket with blue tissue paper and gingerbread cookies...

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Holiday hacks for a stress-free season

Get more out of your time with family and loved ones over the holidays by following these tips for a stress-free season.

2 computer techs in a computer shop holding up a computer server with the "hang loose" sign...

PC Laptops

A comprehensive guide to choosing the right computer

With these tips, choosing the right computer that fits your needs and your budget will be easier than ever.

crowds of people in a German style Christmas market...

This Is The Place Heritage Park

Celebrate Christkindlmarket at This Is The Place Heritage Park!

The Christkindlmarket is an annual holiday celebration influenced by German traditions and generous giving.

Image of pretty woman walking in snowy mountains. Portrait of female wearing warm winter earmuff, r...

Lighting Design

Brighten your mood this winter with these lighting tricks

Read our lighting tips on how to brighten your mood in the winter if you are experiencing seasonal affective disorder.

A kitchen with a washer and dryer and a refrigerator...

Appliance Man

Appliance Man: a trusted name in Utah’s home appliance industry

Despite many recent closures of local appliance stores, Appliance Man remains Utah's trusted home appliance business and is here to stay.

abstract vector digital social network technology background...

Les Olson

Protecting yourself against social engineering attacks

Learn more about the common types of social engineering to protect your online or offline assets from an attack.

Sora is ChatGPT maker OpenAI’s new text-to-video generator. Here’s what we know about the new tool