OpenAI Sora video model access leaked as artists protest ‘corporate AI overload’
A group of artists volunteered as beta testers for OpenAI’s new and unreleased AI video product, Sorapublicly shared access to the tool on Tuesday to protest what they say is the company’s exploitative practices.
In an open letter posted on the Hug Face platform and addressed to “corporate AI overlords,” the group announced access to Sora’s API, special code that allows external users to access the tool.
The team claims that they were invited by OpenAI to be “testers” and “creative partners” of Sora but realized they were being “lured into ‘art laundering’ to tell the world that Sora is a useful tool for artists.” They also asserted that OpenAI controlled and approved all outputs, and that the early access program appeared to be “less focused on demonstration and approval.” average creativity but focus more on PR and advertising fox”.
Sora is one of the most anticipated new products from OpenAI, the private company that makes ChatGPT, and has been worth 157 billion USD. Innovative AI video technology has potential uplift Hollywood and many other creative industries relies on video creation, from advertising to art. As word spread online about access to the Sora model on Tuesday, users quickly began posting their video tests. “It can turn off at any time, try it now!” said an excited user above X. “It can create 1080P videos and up to 10 seconds! And the results are amazing!”
Following the leak, an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed that the company had “temporarily suspended user access while we look into this matter.” They emphasized that Sora is still in the research preview phase and that “hundreds of artists” have shaped Sora’s development, helping to prioritize new features and protections. “Participation is voluntary, with no obligation to provide feedback or use the tool,” they said. “We are delighted to provide these artists with free access and will continue to support them through grants, events and other programs. We believe AI can be a powerful innovation tool and are committed to making Sora both useful and safe.”
Marc Rotenberg, executive director and founder of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Digital Policy and AI, pointed out that the leak was “incredibly ironic” since OpenAI was first founded. established as a company whose research is open to everyone. “That’s why Elon Musk put money into it, and it’s the subsequent commercialization that explains why he became discouraged,” he said. “So if you go back to his mission, I think you will celebrate what artists have done at this time, but of course, if you are Microsoft and you just poured in $10 billion to continue growing your monopoly model, this is probably not a good day,” Rotenberg said, referring to Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI.
It’s important to note that the news about API access will be much less serious than if the entire Sora model — including the code and weights (which serve as the “brains” behind the model) was leaked. OpenAI quickly shut down access to the leaked API on Tuesday.
Still, the fact that the company’s own beta testers are protesting is worth noting: Over the years, Artists have expressed growing concerns about exploitative practices in the field of AI generation, especially around issues of copyright and content usage. Creative AI models often rely on massive datasets pulled from publicly available digital content, which largely includes artwork, illustrations, and other creative works created by artists. go out.
Additionally, AI watchers are also extremely curious to know how OpenAI’s highly anticipated Sora model works. In February, OpenAI releases many high-definition video clips created by Sora, but since then only occasional demo videos have been released.
