OpenAI’s Sora app reaches 1 million downloads in under five days, surpassing ChatGPT’s launch speed

OpenAI’s new text-to-video app, Sora, has reached a major milestone by hitting 1 million downloads in less than five days, surpassing ChatGPT’s record time for reaching the same number of downloads. Available only in North America through an invite system, Sora has topped the charts on the Apple App Store and allows users to generate short, realistic-looking videos from simple text prompts. Despite its rapid success, the app has faced significant criticism for its handling of copyright issues and its use of deceased public figures’ likenesses. Videos created with Sora often feature characters from films, TV shows, and games, as well as depictions of famous people like Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur. This has led to public backlash, including a plea from Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams, asking people to stop sending AI-generated videos of her late father. OpenAI has stated that it is adapting its approach, allowing more control for rights holders and planning future revenue-sharing models. However, it remains unclear whether these measures will resolve the legal challenges facing the company, including potential lawsuits over the use of copyrighted characters and likenesses.