In a big move by Walt Disney Co., it has decided to invest 1 billion USD in OpenAI to become the first major content licensing partner on Sora. For the unversed, Sora is OpenAI’s short-form generative AI video platform. This will be a three-year licensing agreement in which Sora will be able to generate short and user-prompted social videos.
These videos can be viewed and shared by fans and will feature more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar characters. Some of these fan-inspired Sora videos will also be available on the OTT platform, Disney+. Apart from Sora, ChatGPT images will also be able to generate full images within a few seconds.
While talking about this agreement, Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said, “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world.”
“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works. Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, said, “Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content.”
He further said, “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”
Several Disney characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, Zootopia, Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers, Yoda, among others will be the part of this agreement.
