OpenAI’s latest text-to-video AI tool, Sora, has taken the internet by storm, surpassing one million downloads in under five days — a milestone it reached even faster than ChatGPT did at its own launch.
The app, which currently tops the Apple App Store charts in the US, allows users to create realistic 10-second videos from simple text prompts. Despite being limited to invited users in North America, Sora’s rapid growth was described as “surging” by Sora chief Bill Peebles in a post on X announcing the figures.
However, the app’s rise has also sparked heated debate over its handling of copyrighted material and the use of images of deceased public figures.
Sora’s easy sharing features have led to a flood of user-generated videos across social media platforms — some depicting late celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur.
The controversy deepened earlier this week when Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, urged people to stop sharing AI-generated videos of her father. Her plea quickly gained traction, with many linking the renewed wave of such clips to Sora’s popularity.
In response, an OpenAI spokesperson told Axios that the company recognizes “strong free speech interests” in allowing portrayals of historical figures. However, they added that authorized representatives of recently deceased public figures can request to opt out of having their likeness used — though the company did not clarify what timeframe qualifies as “recent.”
