OpenAI Promoting AI Text-to-Video Model Sora to Entertainment Industry

OpenAI is reportedly working to promote the integration of its unreleased artificial intelligence (AI) text-to-video model, Sora, into film production.

The company is scheduling meetings with Hollywood studios, media executives and talent agencies in Los Angeles to foster partnerships, Bloomberg reported Friday (March 22).

The meetings are part of a broader outreach initiative by OpenAI, according to the report. In February, the startup’s chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, held introductory talks in Hollywood to demonstrate Sora’s capabilities.

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman has also been active in engaging with the entertainment industry, attending events in Los Angeles during the Academy Awards weekend, the report said.

Sora, which was unveiled in February but is not yet available to the public, can generate videos up to a minute long based on users’ text prompts, per the report.

A spokesperson for OpenAI said in the report: “OpenAI has a deliberate strategy of working in collaboration with industry through a process of iterative development — rolling out AI advances in phases — in order toensure safe implementation and to give people an idea of what’s on the horizon. We look forward to an ongoing dialogue with artists and creatives.”

The use of AI in Hollywood has sparked controversy, according to the report. While many filmmakers and studios already utilize AI in pre-production and post-production, there are concerns about the potential impact on professionals like illustrators and voice actors.

In response to these concerns, screenwriters and actors went on strike last year in part to secure protections against the use of AI technology, the report said. Unions have since established some safeguards for AI use in the industry.

OpenAI unveiled Sora on Feb. 15, saying the text-to-video model can “generate complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and the background.”

Generative AI tools have already caused economic disruption to studios, and the technology is likely to force studios to rethink their investment in steep production costs, Gilbert Galvan, vice president of strategy and innovation for XR Extreme Reach, a global unified creative and delivery platform, told PYMNTS in an interview posted Feb. 26.

“Within the next three to five years, I see the potential of this technology to displace roles on creative and production teams,” Galvan said.