OpenAI Shuts Down Sora: What We Know About the Neural Network’s Closure

OpenAI has decided to shut down its video generation neural network, Sora. The official announcement appeared in the organization’s account on X (formerly Twitter). The statement said that details regarding the timeline for discontinuing the app and API, as well as instructions on how users can preserve their previously created works, will be shared shortly.

The first version of Sora launched in December 2024 and was exclusive to paying subscribers of ChatGPT Plus and Pro. Nearly a year later, the company introduced the updated Sora 2 and released a dedicated mobile application with expanded video generation tools.

In a comment to Cnet, OpenAI explained that the decision to discontinue support for the consumer application is tied to a shift in focus and rising computational costs. The Sora research team will now concentrate on world simulation to advance robotics.

According to other sources, the company’s leadership also intends to focus on AI tools for programming and the development of a unified application that combines the capabilities of Codex with the Atlas browser.

The fate of the collaboration with Disney remains unresolved. Notably, the billion‑dollar investment agreement included provisions for using characters from Disney’s animated films in generated videos, with some of the content expected to appear on the Disney+ platform. The contract was set for three years, and it is still unclear how the shutdown of Sora will affect these plans.