Tags: Open Ai

OpenAI has introduced Sora, a new social media app that streams AI‑generated videos exclusively. The service is available as an iOS app and via its website, but users must obtain an invite code to join. OpenAI is initially rolling out Sora in the United States and Canada, giving priority to paying Pro subscribers. Once granted access, users receive four additional invite codes to share with friends. The launch comes amid a lawsuit from Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, alleging copyright infringement in OpenAI’s AI training practices. Read more

OpenAI has halted the ability of its Sora video‑generation tool to create videos featuring Martin Luther King Jr. following a request from King Inc., the estate that manages the civil‑rights leader’s legacy. The company said it worked with the estate to address how King’s likeness is represented after users produced disrespectful depictions, including videos that showed King making monkey noises and wrestling with Malcolm X. Families of other public figures, such as Zelda Williams and Bernice A. King, also voiced concerns about AI‑generated content. OpenAI emphasized the importance of free‑speech interests while asserting that families should control the use of their relatives’ likenesses, and it noted that other estates can request similar restrictions. Read more

OpenAI's Sora 2 makes high‑quality AI video production accessible, but achieving cinematic results requires thoughtful prompting. By breaking scenes into micro‑segments, borrowing visual styles from favorite movies, preparing cameo footage carefully, emphasizing visual contrast, and planning sound cues, creators can coax Sora 2 into delivering polished, engaging clips. These practical guidelines help users avoid common pitfalls such as awkward framing, unrealistic cameos, flat lighting, and bland audio, turning simple prompts into compelling visual stories. Read more

OpenAI has launched Sora, an AI‑driven video generation app that lets users create short clips from text prompts. The tool, powered by the company’s latest model, has quickly attracted a large user base, surpassing a million downloads in its first week. While experts praise Sora’s potential to spark a new wave of digital creativity, they also warn of its capacity for deep‑fake misuse and the broader impact on social media dynamics. The app’s design—ten‑second videos, infinite scroll, and a focus on AI‑generated content rather than personal uploads—has sparked debate about authenticity, addiction, and the future of online interaction. Read more

ByteDance is promoting its overseas AI chatbot Cici in markets such as the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Indonesia through extensive advertising and influencer partnerships. The app, a counterpart to the popular Chinese chatbot Doubao, is region‑locked and unavailable in China or the United States. Cici relies on OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s Gemini for text generation while borrowing technology from other ByteDance platforms. It offers text and audio chat, image generation, and user‑created autonomous agents, but lacks music and video capabilities. Despite limited global brand visibility, Cici has climbed into the top‑20 free apps in several countries, reflecting ByteDance’s willingness to invest heavily in user acquisition. Read more

In a recent Ars Live discussion, Ed Zitron warned that the AI boom is inflating a market bubble, largely driven by Nvidia’s growth. He argued that a slowdown in that growth could trigger a burst, potentially leading to a broader market depression as investors reassess the sustainability of tech’s hyper‑growth. Zitron also criticized OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, labeling him a con artist who has misled the market. The conversation highlighted concerns over AI hype, the risk of inflated valuations, and the possible fallout for Silicon Valley if the bubble collapses. Read more

OpenAI announced new features for its AI‑generated video app Sora, adding a web‑based storyboarding tool for Pro users and extending video length limits. Free users can now create videos up to 15 seconds, while Pro users on the web can generate clips up to 25 seconds. The updates aim to attract more professional creators and align Sora with industry practices such as storyboarding, while maintaining its integration with ChatGPT accounts. Read more

OpenAI has issued subpoenas to several nonprofit groups that have criticized its recent restructuring, including the Midas Project, the San Francisco Foundation, and Encode. The move follows a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk accusing OpenAI of abandoning its nonprofit mission in pursuit of profit. Representatives from the targeted organizations deny any funding or coordination with Musk and claim the subpoenas aim to silence dissent. OpenAI officials assert that the groups are part of campaigns opposing the company's restructuring. Read more

Anthropic announced a new feature called Skills for Claude, a collection of pre‑built instructions, scripts and resources that let the Claude AI agent perform specific work tasks more efficiently. Companies such as Box, Rakuten and Canva have already used the tool, and users can also create custom Skills for their own workflows across Claude.ai, Claude Code, the API and the Claude Agent SDK. The rollout aims to reduce prompt‑engineering effort and make AI agents more reliable in real‑world business contexts, positioning Anthropic alongside rivals like OpenAI, which recently unveiled its own AgentKit suite. Read more

OpenAI announced two major updates to its AI video generation tool Sora 2. All users can now create videos up to 15 seconds, while Pro subscribers can generate clips up to 25 seconds and gain access to a new Storyboard tool that lets them combine multiple scenes. The upgrades aim to give users more creative flexibility and strengthen Sora 2’s position as a leading AI video platform. Read more

Walmart and OpenAI have introduced Instant Checkout, a new feature that lets shoppers complete purchases through ChatGPT conversations. The AI accesses Walmart's catalog to confirm orders and handles payment via existing checkout infrastructure. Executives say the service aims to simplify everyday buying and position both companies ahead of rivals in conversational commerce. The integration builds on Walmart’s existing AI tools and expands OpenAI’s e‑commerce capabilities beyond smaller merchants. Read more

OpenAI announced plans to relax certain restrictions for adult ChatGPT users, including the potential to allow erotica for verified adults and to reduce preemptive pop‑ups for mental‑health topics. While safety tools for crisis situations will remain, the company aims to treat adult users like adults and maintain protections for minors. The changes are part of a broader effort to balance user freedom with safety, following earlier restrictions introduced after lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny. Read more

Google announced the release of Veo 3, its latest AI video generator, now available to paying Gemini users through Flow, the Gemini API, and Vertex AI. The update adds features such as ingredient‑based video assembly, object insertion, and the ability to create AI‑generated transitions between still images, extending short clips to over a minute. Veo 3 follows earlier launches that integrated synchronized audio and reflects Google’s broader push into generative media, a field currently heated by OpenAI’s Sora and ongoing copyright disputes. Read more

Google announced the launch of Veo 3.1, the latest version of its AI video generator, now available to paying Gemini users through Flow, the Gemini API, and Vertex AI. The update adds asset‑combining tools, object insertion, extended clip length, and AI‑driven transitions between still images. The move comes as OpenAI promotes its Sora video model, sparking debate over deep‑fake risks and copyright challenges in generative media. Read more

Google announced Veo 3.1, the latest upgrade to its AI video model, promising stronger prompt adherence, higher realism, and improved audio. The new version expands format support to include both landscape and portrait 16:9 video, addressing the surge in vertical content on platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok. A "Fast" variant aims to reduce compute costs, and the model will be integrated across Google’s ecosystem, including the Flow filmmaking tool. While the upgrade raises concerns about distinguishing real from synthetic media, it positions Google more competitively against rivals such as OpenAI's Sora. Read more

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company will allow verified adult users to engage in erotic conversations with ChatGPT starting in December. The move reflects a shift toward a more permissive content model after a period of tighter restrictions aimed at mental‑health safety. Altman said new detection tools will help balance adult freedom with user protection, and developers will also be able to create mature‑content applications once appropriate age‑verification processes are in place. Read more

Japan’s government has formally asked OpenAI to stop using Japanese manga and anime artwork in its AI models, citing concerns over copyright infringement. The request follows backlash against OpenAI’s video app Sora, which quickly became populated with AI‑generated content that the Cabinet Office says violates the country’s cultural treasures. Officials, including Minoru Kiuchi, warned that manga and anime are “irreplaceable treasures,” and the Cabinet Office has demanded OpenAI cease the infringing behavior. OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has acknowledged the company’s debt to Japan’s creative output, while the firm faces criticism over its previous opt‑out policy for copyright holders. Read more

Japan’s government has asked OpenAI to stop using copyrighted anime and manga in its Sora video‑generation tool, labeling the content “irreplaceable treasures.” The request was made by a cabinet minister overseeing AI and intellectual property after numerous Sora‑generated clips replicated well‑known Japanese franchises. OpenAI has previously offered studios a way to opt out of training on their material, but the Japanese authorities are seeking clearer enforcement to protect the nation’s cultural assets. The move highlights ongoing tensions between AI innovation and copyright protection. Read more

OpenAI’s upgraded text‑to‑video model, Sora 2, creates short clips that look increasingly realistic, making it harder to tell what is real. While the technology improves on earlier giveaways such as blurs and odd hand shapes, subtle flaws remain. Viewers can look for mismatched physics, strange background details, off‑kilter movement, compression artifacts, and inconsistencies in source accounts. Slowing down, checking emotions, and cross‑referencing with reputable outlets are recommended ways to verify authenticity. Developing these skills is essential as AI‑generated video becomes more convincing. Read more

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a forthcoming version of ChatGPT that will behave more like the earlier GPT‑4o model. The update will let users customize tone, personality and emoji usage, and will introduce an adult‑only mode that permits verified adults to generate erotica and other mature content. Altman said the changes aim to balance greater flexibility with stronger safeguards after a period of restrictive policies focused on mental‑health concerns. The move reflects OpenAI’s shift toward more personalized AI experiences while maintaining age‑gating tools to address safety and ethical considerations. Read more