It's been confirmed today that Disney and OpenAI are set to partner on a three-year licensing agreement. The deal will allow Sora to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters.
The agreement will make a selection of these fan-inspired Sora short-form videos available to stream on Disney+. At the same time, Disney will become a major customer of OpenAI, using its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploying ChatGPT for its employees.
The cost to Disney? Some will say the company's "soul" (depending on what your stance is on AI). In reality, it's a cool $1 billion investment in OpenAI, which has seen both companies affirm a shared commitment to responsible use of AI that "protects the safety of users and the rights of creators."
Interestingly, the press release states that the 200 characters will be animated, masked and creatures, meaning no actors will have their likenesses—or voices—used. Costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments are being thrown in for good measure.
"Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world," Disney CEO Bob Iger said today. "The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry."
Through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works."
"Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before," he continued, "giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love."
Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, added, "Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content."
"This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences."
Among the characters fans will be able to use in their creations are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, Zootopia, and many more.
There will also be iconic animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers, Yoda, and more.
News like this is always going to receive a mixed response, but many fans of these franchises will be excited to create their own stories and images featuring these iconic characters. These being animated and illustrated images should reduce the risk of fake leaks, similar to those for Avengers: Doomsday last month.