OpenAI has shut down its social app, Sora. This app was like TikTok. It lasted only six months. OpenAI did not give clear reasons for the shutdown. They also did not say when it would stop working completely.
Big Hype, Fast Fade
When Sora first launched, many wanted to try it. Users were excited to get an invite. They wanted to test the new app.
But this excitement did not last long. It is similar to Meta's Horizon Worlds. That app also lost popularity. This happened even with much promotion for the metaverse. TechCrunch reported this news. Arabic Business also shared the story.
The Sora 2 model was advanced. It could create video and sound. But an app using only AI content did not keep users interested.
AI TikTok
The app was made to be an AI version of TikTok. It had a familiar vertical video layout.
A key feature was 'Characters'. Users could create realistic digital versions of themselves. This used deepfake technology. Others could then use these characters in videos.
This feature caused a lot of debate. Some videos showed public figures without permission. This happened even though OpenAI said there were limits.
Content Chaos and Ethical Worries
The app quickly became controversial. Worrying videos of real people started to spread.
Fake videos of Martin Luther King Jr. and actor Robin Williams appeared. Their families asked for their images to stop being used.
Funny or strange videos also spread. They used famous people or copyrighted characters. This could lead to legal problems.
Big Deal Fell Through
In a surprise move, Disney talked with OpenAI. They might invest one billion dollars. They also planned to use characters from Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars.
But with the app closing, this deal collapsed. It did not happen before the shutdown.
Numbers Show Decline
The app had over 3.3 million downloads in November. By February, this dropped to about 1.1 million. Appfigures shared this data.
In its short life, Sora made about $2.1 million. This was from in-app purchases. These numbers are small. ChatGPT has hundreds of millions of weekly users.
End Doesn't Mean Gone
Even though the app is closed, Sora 2 technology is still available. It is part of paid ChatGPT services. This means deepfake worries are not gone.
Experts think this move is not the end. It might be a step in the race to build AI video apps. This opens the door for new technical and ethical challenges soon.