OpenAI and Disney announced on Thursday that they have entered into a three-year licensing agreement that will enable the use of Disney’s characters on Sora, a platform for videos created with generative artificial intelligence (AI), a strong signal for the AI content ecosystem.
Disney and OpenAI announced their agreement on Thursday – Sora
Under the partnership, Disney will take a $1 billion equity stake in OpenAI and receive warrants enabling it to acquire additional shares in the company behind ChatGPT at a later date.
Launched at the end of September, Sora positions itself as a social network where only AI-generated videos can be published. The platform runs on OpenAI’s generative video model, Sora 2, successor to the original Sora model, whose generic name has been adopted for the app.
From the outset, Sora featured unauthorised content using brands, the likenesses of public figures, and visual worlds inspired by existing programmes, cartoons, films, and series. Many videos included characters directly inspired by those of Pixar, a Disney subsidiary, as well as several cartoons owned by the entertainment giant, such as ‘Family Guy.’
A few days later, Sam Altman indicated that OpenAI intended to offer rights holders greater control over the use of materials that are theoretically protected by intellectual property rights.
Under the collaboration unveiled on Thursday, Sora users will now be able to create videos drawing on a catalogue of more than 200 characters from the Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars universes, according to a joint press release. However, these are limited to animated characters, masked characters or creatures, and do not include real human actors.
“Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” said Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, in the release. “Rapid advances in artificial intelligence mark an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our stories through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.”
The tie-up between the two groups goes beyond Sora, as Disney will become a “major customer” of OpenAI. The Burbank, California-based company will give its employees access to ChatGPT and use OpenAI’s models to “create new products, tools and experiences.”
For Sam Altman, also quoted in the press release, this agreement “shows that AI companies and content publishers can work together responsibly to promote innovation.” Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to begin producing fan-inspired videos featuring Disney’s multi-brand licensed characters in early 2026.
With AFP
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