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OpenAI launches Sora App alongside Sora 2 for improved audio, video generation AI platform

OpenAI's Sora app will be free upon release, as OpenAI states it is “for individuals to freely explore its features.”

The Sora app also includes parental controls through ChatGPT, allowing parents to set infinite scroll limits, disable algorithmic personalisation, and control who can send direct messages to their children. (Image: AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

OpenAI has launched Sora 2, an audio and video generator that replaces Sora from the previous year. Alongside this, the company released Sora, a related social app allowing users to create videos of themselves and friends to post on an algorithmic feed similar to TikTok.

The Sora iOS app is currently available for download and will initially launch in the United States and Canada. The Sora 2 Pro model should be accessible to ChatGPT Pro subscribers for testing without an invitation, despite the social network being invite-only at present. OpenAI plans to expand to other countries soon.

Once videos are generated, they can be shared in a feed within the Sora app, which appears similar to TikTok, Instagram Reels, or other short-form video platforms. Meta previously announced during the last week that it has added a video feed called “Vibes” to its Meta AI app.

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With the “upload yourself” feature known as “Cameos,’ Sora app users can insert themselves into any scenario created by Sora. Users must upload a one-time video and voice clip to verify their identity and capture their appearance before using their likeness in a generated video.

By sharing their “cameos” with friends, users can grant permission for others to use their likeness in films they create, even those involving many people.

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To personalise its algorithmic suggestions, OpenAI will consider a user’s Sora activity, their geographical location (obtained via their IP address), their previous post interactions, and their ChatGPT chat history — although this feature can be disabled. The Sora app also includes parental controls through ChatGPT, allowing parents to set infinite scroll limits, disable algorithmic personalisation, and control who can send direct messages to their children. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these features depends on the parent’s technical ability.

The Sora app will be free upon release, as OpenAI states it is “for individuals to freely explore its features.” The company clarifies that the initial monetisation strategy is to charge users for creating extra videos during peak demand.

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The launch of a social platform will require extensive user safety measures from OpenAI, which has faced similar issues with ChatGPT. While users can withdraw permission for their likeness at any time, this access can be misused. Although a user might trust someone they know to access their AI representation, that individual could still produce misleading material that harms the user. Non-consensual videos remain a longstanding problem with AI-generated content, causing serious harm and lacking comprehensive legislation to clearly assign platform responsibility.