OpenAI is shutting down Sora, its video generation app launched in December 2024, and has scrapped its $1 billion（約1600億円） partnership with Disney announced just three months earlier.
The move suggests internal struggles at the company, which is also managing multiple wrongful death lawsuits.
Sora had already been eclipsed by competing AI video tools from Google and Luma.
What happened
OpenAI announced Tuesday it is shutting down the Sora app, the video generation tool the company launched in December 2024. The $1 billion（約1600億円） partnership deal with Disney, announced in December 2025 to let users create videos with Disney characters, is also being terminated. OpenAI did not confirm reports that Sora would move into ChatGPT, but promised to share timelines for the app and API soon.
Why it matters
Sora faced steep competition from other AI video tools like Google's Veo and Luma Ray and never captured the early momentum from its launch. The sudden exit and Disney deal cancellation, just months after CEO Bob Iger was promoting the partnership in February 2026, signal internal turmoil at OpenAI—a company also dealing with wrongful death lawsuits tied to teen mental health concerns.
What to watch
OpenAI has promised to share more details soon, including timelines for preserving user work. The deal was originally set to last three years; Disney said it "respects" OpenAI's decision to exit video generation and shift priorities elsewhere.
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