Washington: OpenAI has announced it is discontinuing its AI-powered social media platform Sora, which went viral late last year as a hub for sharing short-form videos generated through artificial intelligence, but also drew concern from the entertainment industry and beyond.
In a brief social media statement issued, the company stated that it was ‘saying goodbye to the Sora app’ and will soon provide further details on how users can preserve content they created on the platform, acknowledging that the decision may be disappointing for its community.
Launched in September, Sora was designed to capture audiences and potential advertising revenue associated with short-form video platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Meta-owned platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
We’re saying goodbye to the Sora app. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.
We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on…
— Sora (@soraofficialapp) March 24, 2026
Despite its rapid popularity, the platform faced mounting criticism from advocacy groups, academics, and experts who warned about the risks of allowing users to generate realistic AI videos from simple prompts. Concerns included the spread of non-consensual imagery, highly convincing deepfakes, and a flood of low-quality AI-generated content.
The company had previously taken action to restrict certain outputs after backlash over videos depicting well-known figures such as Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Fred Rogers in exaggerated or inappropriate scenarios. These concerns were raised by family estates and an actors’ union, prompting tighter controls on such content.
The Walt Disney Company, which had entered into an agreement with OpenAI last year to integrate its characters into Sora, said it respected the company’s decision to exit the AI video generation space and redirect its priorities.
However, reports indicated the move came as a surprise, with teams from both organisations actively collaborating on a related project just 30 minutes before being informed of the shutdown. OpenAI publicly confirmed the decision, bringing an end to its short-lived attempt to establish a presence in the AI-driven social video market.
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