OpenAI Sora is a text-to-video generative AI model that allows users to create videos based on written prompts. This model can generate high-quality videos up to 1080p resolution and a maximum length of 60 seconds.
It is designed to interpret complex scenes with multiple characters and backgrounds. Sora can generate videos from text, animate still images and extend existing videos by filling in missing frames or adding new content.
OpenAI Sora was trained on a wide range dataset that includes publicly available data, licensed content from Shutterstock, and proprietary datasets developed in-house.
The sources of all training data are not fully disclosed, but it is suggested that the dataset encompasses various video lengths, resolutions, and styles.
OpenAI has launched Sora, an advanced AI video generation tool that allows users to create videos from text prompts, images, and existing video clips.
OpenAI Sora was released on December 9, 2024. Users can generate realistic videos by simply describing the scene they envision. Sora can also extend existing videos, fill in missing frames, and remix content from various sources.
The tool supports the generation of video up to a resolution of 1080p and supports a maximum duration of 20 seconds per clip.
OpenAI Sora uses a diffusion model, which begins with a base video that is noisy static and refines into a coherent video through a number of steps. This helps maintain continuity of subjects even when they go out of view temporarily.
The model was trained by combining publicly available data, proprietary data from partners, and feedback from users.
Users can edit existing clips by changing or reimagining elements and isolating the best frames to extend scenes.
The Storyboard Functionality feature allows users to organize and edit unique sequences on a personal timeline.
OpenAI has incorporated several other safety measures to combat possible misuse, age restrictions, and content thresholds for sensitive subjects.
Available only to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers, account availability is currently closed because of significant demand after the product came out. The price for each membership is $20 a month for users on the Plus level and $200 a month for Pro access.
OpenAI Sora Release Date
OpenAI’s Sora is an AI video generation tool. It was officially released on December 9, 2024. This launch is part of the 12-day ship-mas product rollout series by OpenAI.
Sora, which was first previewed in February 2024, enables users to generate videos from text prompts and images. This is available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers in the United States and several other countries.
How to Use OpenAI Sora
1. Access Sora
- Ensure you’re subscribed to OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus or Pro plan as, currently, Sora can only be accessed by such users.
- If you haven’t already, create an account for the OpenAI platform.
2. Navigate to the Sora Interface
- Open OpenAI’s website and proceed to the dedicated platform for Sora.
- Agree to the Media Upload Agreement – Confirm you are 18+, and your uploads meet content criteria.
3. Input Your Text Prompt
- Write a creative text prompt for the video that you would like to create, including details about characters, settings, and actions and emotions.
- Prompt example: “A black dog playing with a ball of yarn in a room.”
4. Select Video Settings
- Choose your desired video settings including:
- Aspect Ratio: Options for vertical, horizontal or square formats.
- Resolution: Select the output quality (up to 1080p).
- Duration: Specify how long you want the video to be (up to 20 seconds).
5. Generate the Video
- Click the button to generate your video based on your prompt.
- Sora will then process your request and produce a video that fits your needs and specifications.
6. Export Your Video
- Export your video in the desired format once satisfied with the generated content.
OpenAI Sora Pricing
OpenAI’s Sora is accessed only through its subscription plans-the ChatGPT Plus and Pro tiers.
The ChatGPT Plus plan is priced at $20 per month. Under this plan, subscribers can create up to 50 videos in a month at 480p resolution.
For users who need a higher quality, the plan offers fewer videos at 720p resolution. This is ideal for casual users or for people just getting started with video generation.
The ChatGPT Pro comes at $200 per month with a more intense use. The plan increases all capabilities to the extent of generating up to 500 videos a month at full resolution, which is 1080p.
The video can extend up to 20 seconds and also features multiple generations of videos simultaneously as well as any number of relaxed video options for Pro users.
Now, it is not possible for buyers of an OpenAI subscription to spend or earn extra credits outside of its offerings and purchase more.
If this more intensive usage is required then a move from Plus into Pro will be necessary because of course OpenAI has said they expect customized options based on user type going public during first quarter 2025.
ChatGPT and Sora Experienced a Major Outage
On December 11, 2024, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Sora went down for about four hours.
The outage started at around 3 PM PT, affecting not only these services but also OpenAI’s developer-facing API. Users reported that they were unable to access the platforms.
The outage lasted for about four hours, with services restored a little before 8 AM IST on December 12.
Though the exact reason for the outage was not reported, it coincided with OpenAI’s integration into Apple’s iOS 18.2 and a massive user traffic spiking after Sora had gone public the week prior.
Most of the frustrated users are those that rely on the services to get their work or school done. Complaints reached their peak, especially in the United States.
The outage happened at the same time when Meta’s platforms like Facebook and Instagram were reported down, sparking speculations of some problem affecting multiple tech services.
OpenAI communicated through social media that they were on it and working on a solution for the problem. By the morning of December 12, services were reported to be back online and opened access to ChatGPT and Sora once again.
Technical Specifications of OpenAI Sora
Model Architecture
OpenAI Sora is a diffusion model that starts generating videos from the base, which happens to look somewhat like static noise, and continues to evolve it in successive steps as it forms coherent video frames.
Again, similar to the GPT models, Sora relies on a transformer architecture: this gives a better scaling capacity and also processes multiple frames with one go; this design helps support object coherence, even when an object momentarily departs from the field of view.
OpenAI Sora uses a recaptioning method developed from DALL-E 3. Recaptioning creates descriptive captions for visual data.
Supported Formats
OpenAI Sora produces videos in a 1080p resolution. It can create videos in different aspect ratios, including:
- Widescreen (1920×1080)
- Vertical (1080×1920)
- Square formats
OpenAI Sora allows users to generate videos up to 20 seconds long in the Pro subscription plan, and up to 5 seconds in the Plus tier.
Integration
OpenAI Sora operates as a service separate from ChatGPT, accessible through its website. It requires a subscription to either ChatGPT Plus or Pro for access.
The interface includes tools such as a storyboard tool for precise frame input specification. Sections for exploring community creations including Featured and Recent feeds.
OpenAI Sora can accept multiple input types including Text prompts for generating new videos. Existing images that can be animated into video sequences. Existing videos that can be extended or modified.
Performance Metrics of OpenAI Sora
OpenAI Sora has been said to produce videos that have similarities with the prompts. High levels of accuracy in videos have been achieved by incorporating the use of advanced diffusion models.
OpenAI Sora can create the coherence of objects and characters all through the video when such objects and characters are entering or leaving the frame.
OpenAI Sora takes nuanced prompts, so its interpretation will make a great video that has all semblance with the narrative and themes intended.
The average time taken to produce a video varies with complexity and length. Users usually report that Sora can create short clips (up to 20 seconds) in a few minutes.
For Pro users, OpenAI Sora supports multiple simultaneous video generations, which can be more productive for users who have to create multiple clips in quick succession.
While OpenAI Sora is usually good, users sometimes run into problems such as:
- Inaccurate representations of complex prompts.
- Artifacts or bugs in the generated videos, especially in high-speed sequences or intricate backgrounds.
- OpenAI is working to strengthen the model so that such errors can be minimized in subsequent releases.
The early feedback from users has been positive and many users have appreciated how easy it is to use the tool and the quality of the videos that are generated.
Users are also interested in features such as longer video lengths, more options for styles and effects, and better editing tools.
OpenAI Sora Industry Use Cases
OpenAI Sora helps content creators, marketers and social media influencers generate high-quality video content from text prompts.
Using this tool, users can create content for YouTube, Instagram and TikTok with less effort involved.
The tool enables the filling in of missing frames in a video or appending new elements to existing video content, which helps in video editing.
Educators can use Sora to come up with instructional videos that pictorially explain concepts. Businesses can use Sora to create promotional videos in a prompt manner, depending on the various campaigns or audiences.
The multi-format video creation ensures proper compatibility with various advertising platforms.
Companies can use Sora to come up with training videos that show certain processes or products. The organizations can come up with informative videos for internal communications.
Market Potential of OpenAI Sora
OpenAI Sora is created for individual creators, including social media influencers, YouTubers, and marketers who require producing engaging video content quickly and affordably.
It is accessible to those who do not have extensive video production skills because it can generate videos from text prompts.
Companies in marketing, e-commerce, and education can use Sora to create marketing videos, product and training content. The flexibility of the tool to generate different video formats helps to cater to business needs.
Sora has also generated interest from filmmakers and media executives interested in increasing production efficiency. OpenAI has reached out to these professionals and is exploring Sora’s potential in film production and creative storytelling.
As the demand for video content continues to rise. It is expected to reach $456 billion in ad spending by 2025, Sora positions itself well within this expanding market.
With OpenAI’s existing user base of over 300 million users, Sora is likely to see adoption among ChatGPT subscribers especially as tailored pricing options are introduced in early 2025.
Sora’s capabilities could interfere with the traditional video production processes, allowing for faster creation of content at lower costs. This may open up wider acceptance of AI-generated content in different industries.
OpenAI Sora has competitors in AI video generation tools such as Pika, Haiper, and Runway. They also provide solutions for quick video creation but may vary in features, pricing, and target markets.
Sora distinguishes itself because of its more advanced diffusion model, which produces high-quality videos with improved coherence and fidelity relative to previous technologies like Meta’s Make-A-Video. Its capability to accept very complex prompts and generate videos in different formats enhances its appeal.
Ethical and Safety Standards of OpenAI Sora
OpenAI has put in place ethical guidelines that are aimed at reducing biases in AI models. Sora is developed with a focus on responsible AI usage, ensuring that the generated content does not reinforce harmful stereotypes or biases present in the training data.
OpenAI conducts rigorous evaluations of Sora’s outputs to identify and address any potential biases. This includes ongoing testing and feedback mechanisms to improve the model’s fairness and inclusivity.
OpenAI has implemented clear policies that ensure no content containing minors, explicit material, violence, or any other harmful content shall be generated.
Sora-generated videos contain visible watermarks and metadata that identify them as AI creations. This enhances transparency, prevents misuse, and reduces the chances of misinformation and deepfakes.
OpenAI prioritizes user privacy by implementing measures to safeguard personal information. The company adheres to privacy standards that protect users from unauthorized data collection or exploitation.
Ethical guidelines also encompass fair use policies, that Sora does not infringe on existing copyrights or misappropriate creative works without proper attribution. This includes respecting the rights of original creators when generating new content.
12 Days of OpenAI Event
12 Days of OpenAI event, also known as “12 Days of Shipmas,” started on December 5, 2024. This program consists of daily releases and live showcases of new products and features over a period of 12 business days.
The 12 Days of OpenAI event began on December 5, 2024, with daily live streams that will feature the new updates and launches.
Some of the products launched during this event include the o1 reasoning model, which enhances logical reasoning abilities.
Daily Highlights
- Day 1: Launch of the o1 reasoning model and ChatGPT Pro.
- Day 2: Introduction of reinforcement fine-tuning capabilities.
- Day 3: Launching Unveiling of Sora
- Subsequent Days: New features were announced, such as Canvas for collaborative writing and coding along with other product improvements.
Recent OpenAI Sora News
On December 9, 2024, OpenAI released Sora, an AI video generator that lets users create realistic videos from text and images. Due to demand, account creation was temporarily paused shortly after the launch.
The new version named Sora Turbo improves video generation speed and quality. It supports video resolutions up to 1080p and allows for various aspect ratios. Users can generate videos up to 20 seconds long.
Launch issues due to high traffic occurred right after launch, and the company decided to temporarily stop allowing new users to create accounts. The system was showing that account creation was unavailable for some time because of heavy traffic.
Sora is free to use by ChatGPT Plus and Pro users but comes with limited video generation monthly. Some features of Sora include a storyboard tool, which is useful for creating sequences in a video, and a community feed for sharing creations from other users.
OpenAI has used safety measures in place against misuse including banning any depiction of human likeness in videos and also filtering content that features nudity.
Sora utilizes a diffusion model to generate video. This diffusion model will transform static noise into coherent video content in several steps. It can also remix videos which exist already and fill gaps based on the prompts provided.
This means the platform allows user engagement by having features that let them blend and remix video content. Users can engage with community-generated content using the ‘Featured’ and ‘Recent’ feeds.
OpenAI is going to improve Sora’s capability and make it accessible to more users for generating videos of human likenesses as its deepfake strategies improve.
Sitting atop tremendous funding from Microsoft, OpenAI is to establish Sora as a premier player in the AI video generation market.
OpenAI Sora is only accessed by ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers, with their monthly subscriptions costing $20 for the Plus subscriber and $200 for the Pro subscriber.
Video generated using OpenAI Sora is of up to a 1080p resolution as well as aspect ratios, which include widescreen, vertical, and squares.
Sora can even create a video of any maximum of 20 seconds allowing the users to make short concise videos according to their inputs.
Users can make up to 50 videos at 480p resolution per month or fewer videos at higher resolutions such as 720p, depending on the subscription tier.
OpenAI has limited the creation of videos with real people to a subset of users at first.
Sora was trained on a combination of publicly available data, proprietary data from partners, and user feedback that improves its functionality over time.
Before public release, Sora was tested by external red teamers in nine countries who tested over 15,000 generations for safety and to improve the robustness of the model against misuse.
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