OpenAI Unveils Initial Examples of Third-Party Creators Utilizing Sora
OpenAI, the generative AI startup, has recently showcased the creative potential of its highly realistic AI model, Sora. While OpenAI has been releasing videos generated by Sora, the text-to-video tool has remained inaccessible to the public. However, for the first time, the company has allowed a select group of outside filmmakers, artists, advertising agencies, and musicians to utilize the Sora model and create their own videos.
In a blog post published by OpenAI, the company expressed its excitement about how Sora can assist creatives in bringing their ideas to life. The post showcased seven videos created by the invitees who had access to Sora. Among the creators featured were Walter Woodman, Sidney Leeder, and Patrick Cederberg from shy kids, a multimedia production company based in Toronto. Walter directed the short film “Air Head.” Other creators included Paul Trillo, a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, and director, and Nik Kleverov, the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Native Foreign, an Emmy-nominated creative agency. August Kamp, Josephine Miller, Don Allen Stevenson III, and Alex Reben were also part of the group.
OpenAI’s decision to highlight these third-party creations serves as a promotional exercise that demonstrates the potential of Sora beyond the confines of OpenAI itself. Additionally, this move follows a recent report by Bloomberg revealing that OpenAI executives have been engaging with Hollywood filmmakers and studios to generate interest in utilizing Sora for conventional, big-budget filmmaking projects.
However, OpenAI’s campaign to publicize Sora arrives during a time when AI video and generative AI for content creation are being met with increased skepticism and criticism from artists and viewers alike. Just last week, an independent horror film called “Late Night With The Devil” faced backlash online due to its use of AI-generated still images for certain transitions and set decor. Some individuals even called for a boycott on the film and any other productions that utilized AI instead of employing traditional artistic methods.
In response to OpenAI’s latest wave of third-party Sora videos, Ed Newton-Rex, former Stability AI executive and current Fairly Trained CEO, accused OpenAI of “Artistwashing.” Newton-Rex defined this term as soliciting positive comments about generative AI models from a select group of creators while training on people’s work without permission or payment. Fairly Trained is a non-profit organization that certifies AI models, ensuring they have only used licensed or public domain data. OpenAI has refrained from disclosing the specific data used to train Sora, although Chief Technology Officer Mira Murtai mentioned in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the company utilized publicly available and licensed data, including videos from its agreement with Shutterstock.
OpenAI’s unveiling of third-party Sora creations provides a glimpse into the potential of the technology beyond what the company itself has showcased thus far. While there are concerns and criticisms surrounding the use of generative AI in content creation, OpenAI’s collaboration with external creators demonstrates the possibilities that arise when combining human creativity with advanced AI capabilities. As Sora continues to evolve and improve, it has the potential to revolutionize the creative industry, offering new avenues for artists, filmmakers, and musicians to express their ideas and bring them to life.