Disney making $1 billion investment in OpenAI, will allow characters on Sora AI video generator

The Walt Disney Company has made a significant announcement, revealing plans for a staggering $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. This partnership will enable users to create videos featuring Disney's beloved characters through the innovative Sora platform. Launched in September, Sora allows users to generate short videos simply by entering prompts. With this new collaboration, Sora users will gain access to an impressive collection of over 200 iconic characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, including favorites like Mickey Mouse, Ariel, Cinderella, Iron Man, and Darth Vader. Disney's CEO, Bob Iger, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry. Through this partnership with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works." Viewers can tune in at 10:30 a.m. ET to catch a live discussion between Bob Iger and OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, on CNBC TV regarding this monumental investment. Notably, the agreement does not cover any talent likeness or voice rights. OpenAI has also indicated that users will be able to leverage Disney's intellectual property while creating images using ChatGPT Images, which allows for the generation of visuals through natural language prompts. Sam Altman remarked, "Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we're excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content." This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in the intersection of entertainment and technology, heralding a new era for content creation and storytelling.