OpenAI shuts down its AI video generator Sora
What's the story
OpenAI has announced the discontinuation of Sora, its TikTok-like social app that debuted six months ago. The company did not provide a reason for the decision or details on when it would officially be discontinued. Sora was launched as an invite-only social network and quickly gained popularity among users. However, similar to Meta's Horizon Worlds, it failed to maintain long-term user interest despite its impressive underlying technology.
Capabilities
Sora was an AI-first TikTok
Sora was designed as an AI-first TikTok, mimicking the popular vertical video feed format. Its main feature, "cameos," let users scan their faces and create realistic deepfakes of themselves. These cameos could be made public for others to use in their videos. However, this feature led to legal issues with Cameo, which forced OpenAI to rename it as "characters."
Challenges
Deepfakes of deceased celebrities sparked outrage
Upon its launch, Sora was criticized for being an under-moderated platform filled with disturbing content. It wasn't supposed to let users create videos of public figures without their consent, but many managed to bypass OpenAI's restrictions. This resulted in deepfakes of real people like civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and actor Robin Williams, prompting their daughters to request users to stop making videos of their deceased fathers.
App performance
Peak downloads in November, rapid decline by February 2026
Despite the initial hype, Sora's popularity declined sharply by February. The app peaked in November with around 3.3 million downloads across Apple App Store and Google Play, according to mobile intelligence firm Appfigures. By February 2026, this number had dropped to just over one million downloads. In its lifetime, Sora generated about $2.1 million from in-app purchases for additional video generation credits.
Tech availability
Sora lives on behind the ChatGPT paywall
Despite its discontinuation, the Sora 2 model is still available behind the ChatGPT paywall. OpenAI isn't the only one making this tech so easily accessible. It may be only a matter of time before another social AI video app appears in the market, potentially bringing with it a new wave of deepfakes.