Prime Highlights:
- Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI, allowing its characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars to appear in the Sora video tool.
- The partnership aims to give fans new ways to create and enjoy content while respecting the rights of creators.
Key Facts:
- The three-year agreement lets users generate short videos with over 200 Disney characters but does not include actors’ likenesses or voices.
- Disney will also use OpenAI’s tools to build new products and support its employees.
Background:
Walt Disney has announced a $1 billion investment in OpenAI, allowing the tech company’s Sora video tool to feature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. The move comes as Hollywood continues to navigate the growing influence of artificial intelligence on creative work.
Under a three-year licensing agreement, Sora users can generate short, personalized videos using more than 200 Disney characters. The deal does not cover the use of actors’ appearances or voices. Some of the content created through Sora will also be available for streaming on Disney+.
Disney CEO Bob Iger described the partnership as a way to combine the company’s iconic characters with OpenAI’s technology. He said the partnership will give Disney fans new ways to be creative and enjoy imaginative experiences like never before.
The partnership marks OpenAI’s most significant expansion into Hollywood. The rollout comes amid concerns from actors, writers, and other creatives about technology replacing jobs or using people’s likenesses without permission. OpenAI faced criticism for some content before, so it now has stricter rules.
The company will let Disney characters appear in Sora, use its tools to create new products, and help employees. The partnership aims to respect creators’ rights.
Iger said that this partnership is a big step for the entertainment industry, allowing Disney to share stories in new ways while respecting the work of creators.
