OpenAI Officially Shuts Down Sora, the Viral AI Video Application

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Less than a year after its sensational debut that shook the film and creative industries, OpenAI has officially announced the closure of their flagship AI video application, Sora. This decision is considered highly sudden, given that Sora was once touted as the future of digital cinematography that would forever change the way we produce visual content.

In its official statement, OpenAI conveyed an emotional farewell message. “We say goodbye to Sora. To everyone who has created with Sora, shared it, and built a community around it, thank you,” the company wrote, quoted from The Hollywood Reporter website on Wednesday (25/3/2026).

They also acknowledged that this step would trigger significant disappointment among its loyal users. “What you created with Sora means a lot, and we know this news is disappointing. We will share more information soon, including a timeline for the app and API, as well as details on how to preserve your work,” OpenAI stated.

The closure of Sora is said to bring about considerable domino effects, particularly for entertainment giant Disney. A source familiar with the matter revealed that Disney is now pulling out of the major agreement they signed with OpenAI last year.

In that agreement, Disney had initially pledged to invest a staggering $1 billion in OpenAI and agreed to license some of their iconic characters for use on the Sora platform. The plan was to even integrate this technology directly into the Disney+ service to provide a new experience for fans.

However, with the closure of Sora, that collaboration is now declared dead. Although OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, is not entirely exiting the AI video business as video features remain part of the tools integrated into the ChatGPT application, it appears that the standalone Sora app must become a victim of the company’s continuously evolving ambitions.