Fictional Characters Are Coming to OpenAI’s Sora
▼ Summary
– OpenAI is planning official collaborations with fictional characters for its Sora video platform, restricting unauthorized content like meth-cooking and Nazi SpongeBobs.
– Bill Peebles from OpenAI’s Sora team confirmed that character cameos are on the roadmap, with details expected to be released soon.
– CEO Sam Altman has shifted from an opt-out copyright policy to giving rightsholders more granular control over character usage.
– Altman described the new approach as similar to an opt-in model for likeness usage but with additional controls for interactive fan fiction.
– Revenue sharing with rightsholders will begin soon, though the payment model may require trial and error to finalize.
The future of OpenAI’s Sora video generation platform is set to include officially sanctioned collaborations with fictional characters. This development arrives as the company actively works to curb the proliferation of unauthorized and often disturbing content that has circulated since the tool’s launch. Instances of characters engaging in illegal activities or appearing in offensive contexts have prompted a significant policy shift.
Leading the Sora team, Bill Peebles confirmed that incorporating fictional character cameos is a planned feature currently on the product’s official roadmap. He indicated that specific details regarding this functionality are expected to be released in the near future. This initiative represents a formal and approved method for users to integrate copyrighted characters into their video creations, moving away from the current landscape of unsanctioned use.
This strategic direction coincides with a major policy reversal from CEO Sam Altman over the past weekend. The company is abandoning its initial approach, which relied on an opt-out system for copyright. Altman has instead committed to providing rights holders with what he describes as “more granular control” over how their intellectual property is utilized. He has characterized this new framework as an evolution of the opt-in model used for likeness rights, but with enhanced and more specific management tools for fictional characters.
According to Altman, rights holders have expressed considerable enthusiasm for this new form of what he terms ‘interactive fan fiction’. Furthermore, he announced that a revenue-sharing program with these copyright owners will commence shortly. He did caution, however, that determining the precise financial model for these payments will likely involve a period of experimentation and adjustment before a final structure is solidified.
(Source: The Verge)
