OpenAI is planning to discontinue its Sora video platform, just months after its release, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets.
The decision, announced on Monday, March 24, 2026, comes as a surprise given the initial fanfare surrounding Sora, an AI tool capable of generating videos from text prompts. The platform garnered attention for its potential to revolutionize video creation, but has since seen diminished public engagement.
The move was particularly startling to Disney, with whom OpenAI teams were reportedly collaborating on a Sora-related project just 30 minutes before the announcement. Disney personnel were reportedly “blindsided” by the news, Reuters reported.
Sora, released to considerable excitement last year, allowed users to create short videos using simple text descriptions. While the technology demonstrated impressive capabilities, OpenAI has not publicly stated the reasons for its decision to discontinue the platform. The Wall Street Journal noted that using the app could feel “very creative—and very lonely.”
The discontinuation of Sora signals a potential shift in OpenAI’s strategy regarding consumer-facing AI tools. The company has not yet announced a specific date for when the platform will be shut down, but it is expected to occur in the coming months. U.S. News & World Report similarly covered the story.
This development underscores the challenges of bringing cutting-edge AI technology to a broad audience and maintaining engagement over time.
