Sora, OpenAI’s generative video app, has only been out for a week, yet it has already opened a proverbial can of worms for the artificial intelligence organization. As users gravitate toward styles and figures from pop culture, Sora has generated a ton of media related to major anime and video game franchises.
OpenAI seemingly did not implement many measures to protect rights holders against their copyrighted content being used as grist for generative AI. The mess has prompted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to issue a statement on the guardrails Sora users can expect in the near future.
Like ChatGPT, Sora takes text prompts from users to generate content — in this case video footage. Its powers are expansive: Users can do anything from create convincing deepfake versions of real people, to copying specific visual aesthetics. One clip that’s gone viral since Sora went live depicts none other than OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman grilling and slicing open a realistic Pikachu, the beloved Pokémon mascot. Another popular video prompted Sora to create a fake Cyberpunk 2077 mission. Curiously, the app spit back something that seemed to be based on an actual in-game level, with details like the voice acting and vehicle designs bearing an uncanny resemblance to its source material.
Sora’s capabilities are sparking much discourse on the potential dangers of misinformation or security issues inherent to convincing footage involving real-world figures. The question over how Sora is able to depict its subjects with such fidelity and what data OpenAI used to achieve that effect is also lingering in the air. According to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI is asking copyright holders to opt out. Some companies evidently took OpenAI up on the offer, or at least the app has stringent blocks against generating anything that could be mistaken for a Marvel or Disney property.
Japanese entertainment companies, on the other hand, seem to be treated as fair game by Sora’s inner logic. The app is capable of recreating the look and feel of anime like Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball Z, and One Piece with startling fidelity, a reality that’s sparked criticism from the public. Japanese politician Akihisa Shiozaki in particular has led the charge by holding an “urgent meeting” with Japanese government officials to discuss what should be done with regard to intellectual property rights in the country. With concern that technology like Sora is “devouring Japanese culture,” reportedly people within that gathering were requesting that the government take swift action.
In a blog post, Altman acknowledged the situation vaguely by noting that OpenAI was “struck by how deep the connection between users and Japanese content is!”
Altman also claimed that OpenAI did discuss the ramifications of its technology prior to its release, but having Sora in the hands of the public has given the organization more tangible feedback. Despite this move-fast-and-break-things approach, Altman is promising that rightsholders will soon be able to exert more “granular control” over relevant properties. While he didn’t share specifics, the measures will extend beyond opting in or out of the app.
Here’s Altman:
We are hearing from a lot of rightsholders who are very excited for this new kind of “interactive fan fiction” and think this new kind of engagement will accrue a lot of value to them, but want the ability to specify how their characters can be used (including not at all). We assume different people will try very different approaches and will figure out what works for them. But we want to apply the same standard towards everyone, and let rightsholders decide how to proceed (our aim of course is to make it so compelling that many people want to). There may be some edge cases of generations that get through that shouldn’t, and getting our stack to work well will take some iteration.
One popular source of inspiration for users is Nintendo, the Japanese company behind many iconic video game characters. And if Nintendo is known for anything among hardcore enthusiasts, it’s for its protective approach toward intellectual property. Coincidentally, AI-generated footage of Sam Altman saying “I hope Nintendo doesn’t sue us” has also garnered much attention online. Nintendo recently denied claims that it was working with the Japanese government to prevent generative AI from using its IP. It did, however, reiterate its general stance on unauthorized usage of its creations.
“Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights,” Nintendo said in a social media post.
