Talent agency CAA slams OpenAI's Sora for posing 'significant risk' to its clients

The Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has voiced serious concerns regarding OpenAI's latest video app, Sora, claiming it poses substantial risks to their clients and the integrity of intellectual property. Representing high-profile artists like Doja Cat, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Hanks, the agency questioned OpenAI's stance on whether creative professionals deserve fair compensation and recognition for their work. CAA's statement highlighted a troubling perspective: does OpenAI believe it can usurp the efforts of writers, artists, directors, and performers without acknowledging their rights? The agency's response suggests a definitive answer, arguing that the disregard for global copyright norms and creators' rights is unacceptable. While OpenAI has yet to respond to requests for comments, the CAA indicated its willingness to engage in dialogue with the tech giant. They are collaborating with intellectual property experts, unions, and policymakers to address these pressing issues. "Control, permission for use, and compensation are fundamental rights of these creators," the CAA asserted, emphasizing that anything less would be inadequate. Sora, which made its debut last week and swiftly garnered 1 million downloads, enables users to craft AI-generated videos featuring well-known characters and brands. OpenAI initially implemented an "opt-out" framework that allowed for the use of copyrighted content unless explicitly requested otherwise by rights holders. Following feedback, CEO Sam Altman mentioned in a blog that the company would enhance the control rights of creators over the generation of their characters. In a related development, the talent agency WME has informed its agents that they have opted all WME clients out of the recent Sora update, irrespective of whether their associated rights holders have chosen to opt-out. This move was reported by the LA Times. Additionally, Disney recently communicated to OpenAI that it had not granted permission for Sora to utilize or reproduce any of its copyrighted images or characters. A source revealed that Disney argued it should not be required to "opt-out" to safeguard its rights under copyright law. The Motion Picture Association also weighed in, calling for OpenAI to take urgent action against the use of Sora to create content that infringes on copyrighted materials. As generative AI continues to evolve, entertainment companies are increasingly vocal about their copyright apprehensions. Notably, Universal and Disney have filed lawsuits against Midjourney, alleging unauthorized use of AI-generated characters from their films, while Disney previously issued a cease-and-desist to Character.AI for similar reasons.