Hollywood is not happy with OpenAI and its latest Sora app, here's why

OpenAI

OpenAI’s new video app Sora is facing an all-out revolt from Hollywood. The Creative Artists Agency (CAA), United Talent Agency (UTA), Disney, and other industry heavyweights have accused the company of exploiting copyrighted works and undermining creators’ rights, as per a report by CNBC.

The Creative Artists Agency on Thursday said Sora poses “significant risks” to its clients and intellectual property, calling out OpenAI for disregarding global copyright principles. The agency, which represents A-list stars including Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks and Doja Cat, questioned whether the company believes artists “deserve to be compensated and credited” for their creations.

“Or does OpenAI believe they can just steal it?” the CAA wrote in a statement, adding that the answer “is obvious.” The agency said it remains open to discussion but is working with unions, lawmakers and global policymakers to ensure creators retain control and compensation for their work.

OpenAI launched Sora last week, allowing users to generate realistic video clips using AI. The app has already crossed one million downloads, but its use of existing characters and brands has triggered a fierce backlash. Initially, OpenAI adopted an “opt-out” system for copyrighted material, though CEO Sam Altman has since promised “more granular control” for rightsholders.

According to the report, the UTA called Sora’s approach “exploitation, not innovation,” vowing to defend clients against AI models that profit from their likeness or creative output. WME, another major agency, has reportedly opted out all its clients from the platform.

Disney has also sent a formal letter to OpenAI warning it did not authorise the use of its copyrighted characters in Sora videos. The Motion Picture Association joined in, urging OpenAI to take “immediate and decisive action” against infringing content.

OpenAI, in response, said it is removing generated characters from Sora’s public feed and adding stricter guardrails to prevent the misuse of copyrighted material.