Sora, the first standalone OpenAI app since ChatGPT, is shutting down less than a year after its launch. The news coincides with Disney’s withdrawal of its $1 billion investment into the program, with the company noting that the AI field is “nascent.”
Here’s what we know about Sora’s shutdown and the team’s reason for cutting its life short.
Is Sora Shutting Down?
Yes, as previously noted, Sora’s team announced the news of its shutdown on March 24, 2026, via X.com.
“We’re saying ‘goodbye’ to Sora,” the team tweeted that day. “To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.”
The statement continued, “We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work. – The Sora Team.”
We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.
We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on…
— Sora (@soraofficialapp) March 24, 2026
What Is Sora?
Sora was a generative-AI video creation app that allowed users to put themselves into videos as characters.
“Turn your ideas into videos with hyperreal motion and sound,” OpenAI’s Sora page describes the soon-to-be defunct app. “Cast yourself and your friends in videos as characters.”
The program caused a panic in Hollywood and among creatives because of its model that opted out of requiring IP owners to flag if they wanted their copyrighted works excluded. The videos generated by the app looked strikingly realistic, to the delight of users and to the concern of artists.
Why Is Sora Shutting Down?
Sora’s team didn’t explain the reason for its shutdown, but Disney provided a statement about the closure and vowed to “continue to engage with AI platforms” in the future.
“As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere,” a spokesperson for Disney told Variety. “We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.”
Previously, Disney and other entertainment companies accused generative AI platforms of copyright infringement. Disney had sent cease-and-desist letters to Google, Meta and Character.AI, and filed lawsuits against Midjourney and Minimax, alleging copyright infringement.
Google removed AI-generated videos of intellectual property pointed out by Disney.
