Microsoft Bing users can now generate videos from text prompts
What's the story
Microsoft has integrated an AI-powered video generator into its Bing search engine. The new feature, called Bing Video Creator, is powered by OpenAI's Sora model and allows users to create short clips from text prompts. The update is rolling out on the mobile app today, with plans to expand to desktop and Copilot Search in the future.
Challenges faced
Sora's rocky launch and competition
Sora, OpenAI's video generation tool, had a rough start with YouTube's CEO criticizing it for training on its videos. Several early testers also protested against the model. Despite these challenges, it became widely available at the end of last year. However, it now faces stiff competition from other video AI models like Google's Veo 3 that offer more advanced features.
Unique integration
Bing Video Creator: A 1st for OpenAI's Sora
The integration of Sora into Microsoft Bing is a unique move, as OpenAI has restricted access to its video generation capabilities for paid customers only. This is the first time the technology will be available for free through Microsoft's platform. It's worth noting that at launch, the feature isn't yet available on desktop and videos can take hours to generate even in "fast" mode.
User restrictions
Usage and limitations of Bing Video Creator
All users with a Microsoft account can use the Bing app to create up to 10 video clips for free. After this, they have to pay 100 Microsoft Rewards points per video. These points can be earned by searching on Bing or shopping at the Microsoft Store. Currently, users can queue up to three five-second video generations at a time and videos can only be generated in a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio.