OpenAI and The Walt Disney Company have reached an agreement enabling Sora users to generate videos with over 200 beloved Disney characters.
As part of the three-year licensing deal, Disney will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI and receive warrants to purchase additional equity.
Additionally, The Walt Disney Company will become a major customer of OpenAI, using its APIs to build “new products, tools, and experiences” for its streaming service Disney+ and deploying ChatGPT for its employees.
“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in a joint statement.
“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,” Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, adds.
“This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences,” Altman continues.
Sora is OpenAI’s generative AI video platform that was released in September. The platform allows users to generate short videos based on text prompts.
With the licensing deal in place, Sora users are now allowed to create short videos containing iconic characters from franchises like Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, including Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Simba, Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Stormtroopers, and many more.
Disney says the agreement doesn’t include any talent likenesses or voices. Furthermore, the licensing deal is subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, required corporate and board approvals, and customary closing conditions.
Back in June, Disney sued AI platform Midjourney for copyright infringement. A company called Character.AI received a cease-and-desist letter, urging the business to remove any Disney characters from its platform.
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