On February 15, 2024, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stirred up social media with a groundbreaking post: On X (Twitter) he shared videos – created by OpenAI’s latest video tool Sora. The response was overwhelming and since then a new era seems to have dawned on the Internet. Sora promises to fundamentally change the way we interact with artificial intelligence.
Sora: The beginning of a new age of creative possibilities?
Sora is the latest marvel from OpenAI: an artificial intelligence that can convert text commands into videos. Videos of up to one minute in length can be generated – not just four seconds as with Google or Runway, for example. The special feature is that the quality of the images is not only very high, but is also maintained throughout the entire clip. The other providers are not (yet) able to do this either.
Sora is able to create complex scenes with several characters and specific types of movement. Both the figures and the backgrounds can be designed in as much detail as we as users would like. The AI understands every request and executes it precisely. It is therefore even possible to generate characters that can convey vivid and convincing emotions. Sora also has an understanding of how the real, physical world works.
However, some weaknesses have already become apparent. Sora has difficulties simulating the physical conditions of complex scenes or understanding specific cause-and-effect relationships. For example, a character bites off a piece of a cookie – but the cookie is still complete afterwards.
Focus on safety and ethics: the responsible
Full introduction of Sora
Before Sora becomes available to us and the general public, OpenAI is taking a few security precautions in advance. For example, the company has currently made Sora accessible to a selected group of “red teamers” in an initial phase in order to evaluate the AI with regard to possible errors or risks. These include topics such as fake news, discrimination and prejudice. At the same time, a number of visual artists, designers and filmmakers have been given access to provide feedback for improvement and further development.
For OpenAI, Sora is an important milestone on the way to achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Sora is intended to show us that the boundaries of what is possible with AI can be pushed and constantly expanded. The prerequisite is always that these technologies are used responsibly and sensibly.
