OpenAI indicators deal to carry Disney characters to Sora and ChatGPT

It seems to be like Disney wasted no time delivering on CEO Bob Iger’s promise to carry AI-generated content material to Disney+. On Thursday, the corporate introduced the beginning of a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI to carry greater than 200 of its beloved characters, together with these from Star Wars and Pixar, to the Sora app and ChatGPT. With the deal in place, OpenAI customers will be capable to immediate ChatGPT to generate photographs that faucet into Disney’s mental property, with costumes, props, autos and environments lined.

The settlement doesn’t embrace voices or “expertise likenesses,” that means Sora customers received’t give you the chance immediate the app to make a video with Black Widow and get one thing with Scarlett Johansson in it. As a substitute, each Sora and ChatGPT will solely have entry to animated and illustrated variations of Marvel and Star Wars characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Han Solo, Darth Vader and others. Disney will stream “curated alternatives” of Sora-generated fan movies on Disney+. Sora and ChatGPT customers will be capable to begin producing photographs and movies with Disney characters beginning in early 2026.

“Disney is the worldwide gold normal for storytelling, and we’re excited to accomplice to permit Sora and ChatGPT Photos to broaden the way in which folks create and expertise nice content material,” mentioned OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “This settlement exhibits how AI firms and inventive leaders can work collectively responsibly to advertise innovation that advantages society, respect the significance of creativity, and assist works attain huge new audiences.”

Disney has additionally agreed to change into an OpenAI buyer, promising to make use of the corporate’s APIs to construct new merchandise, instruments and experiences. Moreover, Disney will make investments $1 billion in OpenAI, with the choice to buy extra fairness down the highway. OpenAI not too long ago accomplished a restructuring to change into extra of conventional profit-seeking company, clearing the way in which for a possible IPO someday within the subsequent yr or so. Nonetheless, the pact brings together two unlikely bedfellows who’ve been on reverse sides of the copyright debate.

Response from the leisure trade was blended. In a statement released on Bluesky, The Writers Guild of America, which represents writers throughout movie, tv and different media, made it clear it’s sad with the deal:

“Disney’s take care of OpenAI seems to sanction its theft of our work and cedes the worth of what we create to a tech firm that has constructed its enterprise off our backs. We’ll meet with Disney to probe the phrases of this deal, together with the extent to which user-generated videoes will use the work of WGA members. We’ll proceed to battle to guard our members’ artistic and financial pursuits within the context of AI expertise.”

SAG-AFTRA, the display actors union which has round 160,000 members worldwide, was much less incendiary. It posted a notice on its site saying that each Disney and OpenAI had reached out to the union to provide “their assurances that they’ll meet their contractual and authorized obligations to performers.” The union famous it might “carefully monitor the deal and its implementation to make sure compliance with our contracts and with relevant legal guidelines defending picture, voice, and likeness.”

Replace, December 11, 5:45PM ET: This story was up to date after publish to incorporate remark from the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.