OpenAI and Disney Continue Dialogue

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, revealed that discussions with Disney are still underway despite the recent shutdown of Sora, OpenAI’s AI-powered video generation platform. Altman proactively informed Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and former CEO Bob Iger about the decision to discontinue Sora’s development.

Disney's Response to the Sora Shutdown

According to Altman, D’Amaro responded with understanding, stating, “I get it.” The potential partnership with Disney would have granted Sora access to a vast library of Disney characters and involved a $1 billion investment from the entertainment giant. However, with OpenAI exiting the video generation space, the deal was effectively halted before formalization.

Altman on Disappointment and Future Collaboration

“It’s super sad always to disappoint a partner or users or a team, all of which are doing incredible work,” Altman said in a recent podcast interview. He expressed a commitment to finding new avenues for collaboration, stating, “I love Sora, I love generated videos, and I love our partnership with Disney, and we’re working hard with them to find a world where they can still do something amazing, and we can help with that.”

Prioritizing Resources and the Decision to Halt Sora

Compute Capacity as a Key Factor

Altman explained that the decision to shut down Sora was primarily driven by the need to concentrate OpenAI’s limited computing resources. He noted that they had even considered integrating Sora into ChatGPT before ultimately deciding to discontinue the project. “It’s always about compute,” Altman emphasized.

Historical Precedent with GPT-3

This prioritization of resources isn’t new for OpenAI. Altman cited a similar situation with GPT-3, where several promising projects, including robotics, were halted to focus on the development of the large language model. He explained that focusing on key projects is crucial for success.

Avoiding Unintended Incentives

Altman also suggested that continuing with Sora as originally conceived could have led to undesirable outcomes. He stated that the platform’s potential for high video consumption could have created incentives that OpenAI wasn’t willing to pursue.