OpenAI’s cinematic quality AI video generator Sora — and the power of what it represents — shook Hollywood just weeks ago. Its shocking quality certainly elevates the issue of what AI means for future Hollywood productions. But Sora also, once again, puts the spotlight on the fundamental issue of AI “training” on copyrighted works without consent.
Of course, when asked, OpenAI — like most generative AI companies — never comes right out and says that’s what it does. The company simply says that it trains Sora on “publicly available” works. While that sounds innocuous enough, it really isn’t. If it were, why would the company be so cagey about it? When directly asked whether Sora trained on YouTube videos, OpenAI’s CTO Mira Murati deflected.