OpenAI shuts down Sora video-generation app less than two years after launch

• Both the consumer app and professional platform will be discontinued as part of the shift.
• OpenAI said techniques developed for video generation will now be applied to training robots.
• The closure also ends a high-profile content licensing arrangement with Disney.

OpenAI has shut down its artificial intelligence video-generation app Sora less than two years after launch. 

The company confirmed that both the consumer-facing app and its professional web-based platform have been discontinued as it shifts resources toward other areas of development.

“We’re saying goodbye to the Sora app," the Sora Team said in a post. “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 preserving your work."

OpenAI said the decision reflects a broader pivot toward technologies with more direct practical applications, particularly agentic systems designed to operate with minimal human oversight. 

The company plans to apply techniques originally developed for video generation to robotics and autonomous systems capable of completing real-world tasks.

Strategic shift

At the same time, OpenAI will wind down its content partnership with entertainment companies, including a licensing arrangement with Disney that allowed users to create videos featuring well-known characters in its franchises. 

Sora launched in 2024 to widespread industry interest due to the quality of its generated content, but it also attracted criticism over copyright risks and the potential impact on creative jobs.

Last year, Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association asked OpenAI to stop using member content to train models like Sora 2, alleging that some generated outputs closely resemble protected Japanese works. 

The platform also faced increasing competition from rival AI video tools as the market rapidly expanded.