Video Generation

Today's Stories

1. 1

   OpenAI shuts Sora video app, Disney deal scrapped

   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. 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.

   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.

2. 2

   Apple Unveils VideoFlexTok: Flexible Video Tokenization for AI

   Apple researchers introduced VideoFlexTok, a new video tokenization method that maps raw video pixels into a compressed representation. Unlike the standard approach that treats all video content uniformly, VideoFlexTok uses a coarse-to-fine strategy that adapts token density based on the complexity of different parts of a video. Current video-to-AI systems force downstream models to predict every pixel detail regardless of whether a scene is simple or complex, creating inefficiency. VideoFlexTok's flexible approach means models can allocate computational effort more intelligently—spending more tokens on intricate details and fewer on simple regions—potentially improving performance of text-to-video and other video generation systems.

   The method represents a shift from the de facto standard of spatiotemporal 3D token grids toward variable-length tokenization, which may influence how video foundation models are designed in the coming year.

3. 3

   AI Music Video Generators Simplify Creative Workflow for Non-Technical Creators

   AI music video generators now enable creators to produce engaging videos from ideas, songs, or images in just a few steps, without requiring expensive software or advanced editing skills. This democratizes video creation for busy professionals and content creators who lack technical expertise, potentially reducing both production time and cost barriers to entry for video content production.

   The guide highlights multiple AI music video generator tools available in 2026, helping creators navigate the growing range of options to find the right fit for their workflow.

4. 4

   Google launches Nano Banana 2 Lite and Gemini Omni Flash for faster AI images and video

   Google released two new AI models—Nano Banana 2 Lite for fast image generation at $0.034 per image in four seconds, and Gemini Omni Flash for video generation and editing via API at $0.10 per second of output. Both are now available to developers through the Gemini API and Google AI Studio. Nano Banana 2 Lite replaces Google's older image model and offers a lower-cost, faster option for developers who prioritize speed over quality. Gemini Omni Flash opens video generation to the API for the first time, allowing developers to combine text, images, and video in a single workflow—and Google recommends chaining both models together to quickly generate images and animate them into video.

   Gemini Omni Flash currently generates only ten-second clips, and audio references and scene extensions are not yet supported in the API. Character consistency across scene changes remains limited. Both models apply SynthID watermarks to tag AI-generated content, with verification available through the Gemini app, Gemini in Chrome, and Google Search.

5. 5

   Google rolls out Gemini Omni Flash API for enterprise video editing via chat

   Google is releasing Gemini Omni Flash, the first model in its Omni family, through an API for developers and enterprise customers. The model can generate video and, notably, edit finished clips through conversation rather than requiring traditional production workflows. Enterprise video production typically demands planning, a film crew or vendor, shooting, editing, and revisions—a costly and time-consuming cycle that discourages internal video creation. By allowing edits through chat, Google is targeting that friction point, potentially making on-demand video feasible for businesses without specialized teams.

   The API rollout follows the model's consumer debut at Google I/O 2026 in May. The API access was the missing piece for enterprise adoption; the earlier consumer release lacked a programmatic interface for business integration.

6. 6

   Soracom Adds New Handover Feature to "Wisora" Enabling Collaborative Response Between AI and Humans

   Soracom Adds New Handover Feature to "Wisora" Enabling Collaborative Response Between AI and Humans