OpenAI to Launch Short AI-Generated Video App
OpenAI’s new app for short, AI-generated videos is making waves, yeah, real ones, not just the virtual kind. It’s powered by the brand-new Sora 2 engine, and the whole thing is designed to feel like TikTok, except every single video is whipped up by artificial intelligence. No user uploads. Just swipe and discover, like a magic trick where the rabbit is always something absolutely unexpected, sometimes uncanny, sometimes oddly adorable.
What Makes This App Different?
Unlike TikTok or Instagram, where someone’s cat ends up doing the heavy lifting, OpenAI’s app says “no” to personal photos and videos. Here, the AI is the star. Video creation is as simple as entering a prompt, maybe something like, “Two llamas salsa dancing at sunset.” Ten seconds later, voilà, a completely new, probably surprisingly lively scene generated just for the feed. The clips max out at 10 seconds, so it’s all quick, snackable content.
Honestly, I’m already dreaming up prompts that would make Salvador Dalí jealous. There’s a certain liberation, like, no worries that my curtains aren’t the right shade of blue; the AI doesn’t care. I imagine teens battling over who can create the wackiest, most viral scene, and some Gen-Xers earnestly trying to make AI videos about birdwatching.
A Vertical Video Playground
Yes, it’s vertical. Yes, you swipe. Yes, there’s a “For You” page. It’s familiar like walking into a new bakery and realizing they still sell muffins. But here, each muffin is made by a robot chef with a PhD in surrealism. There’s also a handy right-side menu: like, comment, remix, you know the drill, but now remixing might mean asking for “more disco lights” rather than “change the filter”.
In an internal test, OpenAI staff were reportedly so engaged, managers joked about needing an “AI-content detox” to get folks back to work. I mean, I’ve lost hours to “just one more scroll,” so, I sympathize.
Privacy, Identity, and AI Faces
Here’s where things get kind of wild. You can verify your likeness on the app, allowing others to use “you” in AI videos. So, you might find yourself starring in a virtual Rome vacation without even leaving your apartment. Funny, but also hmm, does virtual sunburn count? And, if someone tags you in a video (even a draft), you get notified. That’s cool, right? No surprises that you’re suddenly running for President of Mars in someone else’s AI creation.
I remember the first time a friend tagged me in an old photo, my hair doing its best mushroom impersonation. Multiply that by infinity with AI in charge, and you’ve got Sora 2’s vision. Friendships in the virtual age: now with more oddities.
How Does Sora 2 Actually Work?
Sora 2 isn’t just a fancy name; it uses a diffusion model think: taking static and slowly building it into a moving scene. It can persist characters across shots, animate single images, and even extend scenes. Pretty smart. Sometimes I wonder how many AIs it takes to screw in a light bulb (the answer: none, but they’ll show you a lightbulb doing interpretive dance).
Advanced? Yup. But not perfect action sequences and physics can get weird, and longer videos still stump it a bit. Just imagine trying to teach a robot the difference between “running” and “moonwalking”; it’s work in progress.
Why Now? The Bigger Picture
OpenAI’s app drops right when TikTok’s future in the US is a big “maybe.” Regulations, debates, selling who knows? OpenAI sees a chance to win over short-form video fans without the China ties. If TikTok stumbles, OpenAI’s app might grab the spotlight, giving everyone a new reason to stay glued to their phones in a whole new way.
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Competing apps: Meta’s Vibes, Google’s Veo 3, all gearing up for this AI content future.
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Zero risk of “bank holiday” viral dances. Sorry, SEO addicts.
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Slightly random, hyper-creative content. Not your average day at the office.
A Little Technology
Sora 2 is already fully available to ChatGPT Plus, Business, and Pro users, so if you’ve got the subscription, you’re ahead. The editor lets you storyboard, remix, and loop scenes, and you can download everything as good old MP4s (because, let’s be real, sharing is half the fun).
This is one of those launches that feels, dare I say it, exciting, unpredictable, and a little scary. Like getting on a roller coaster but not knowing where the next turn will be. But, it’s a good kind of unpredictable; less “bank holiday closure” and more “let’s see what this thing does if I type ‘cows doing ballet in Times Square.’ Try not to lose three hours in a single night. Or do. Just blame the AI when you do.
