OpenAI just dropped its biggest play yet against social media giants - a TikTok competitor built entirely around AI-generated videos. The company launched Sora 2 alongside a dedicated social app that lets users create videos of themselves and friends, then share them in an algorithmic feed that feels remarkably familiar to anyone who's scrolled TikTok lately.
OpenAI is making its boldest move yet into social media territory. The company announced Tuesday it's launching both Sora 2, a next-generation video AI model, and a companion social app that puts AI-generated content at the center of a TikTok-style feed.
The timing couldn't be more strategic. While Meta fumbled last week with its lackluster "Vibes" AI video feed - which users quickly dismissed as mindless content - OpenAI is betting big that personalized AI videos will crack the social media code where others have failed.
Sora 2 represents a major leap forward in AI video generation. "Prior video models are overoptimistic - they will morph objects and deform reality to successfully execute upon a text prompt," OpenAI wrote in their announcement. "For example, if a basketball player misses a shot, the ball may spontaneously teleport to the hoop. In Sora 2, if a basketball player misses a shot, it will rebound off the backboard."
The company's demo videos showcase this improved physics understanding with beach volleyball games, skateboard tricks, and diving board jumps that look genuinely realistic - a far cry from the uncanny valley content that's plagued earlier AI video tools.
But the real innovation lies in the social app's "cameos" feature. Users upload a one-time video and audio recording to verify their identity and appearance, then can drop themselves into any AI-generated scene. Even more intriguingly, they can share these "cameos" with friends, giving others permission to include their likeness in generated videos.
"We think a social app built around this 'cameos' feature is the best way to experience the magic of Sora 2," the company explained. It's a clever hook that could differentiate Sora from existing platforms - imagine creating a video of you and your college friends cliff diving in Hawaii without anyone actually traveling there.
The Sora iOS app launches today in the US and Canada, with plans for rapid international expansion. While the social platform remains invite-only, ChatGPT Pro subscribers get immediate access to the underlying Sora 2 model. OpenAI's keeping the app free initially "so people can freely explore its capabilities," with plans to charge only for extra video generation during peak demand periods.
