OpenAI is abruptly ending its AI video app Sora. The company wants to focus more on text and code, rather than video apps that require an enormous amount of computing power.
“We are saying goodbye to Sora,” the company stated via a post on X. The company writes that more information will follow soon. Users will also be given the opportunity to save their creations. According to various sources, the company wants to focus more on text and code, rather than the energy-intensive AI video app Sora. This announcement also marks the end of the $1 billion deal with Disney.
Computing power
OpenAI first launched the text-to-AI video app in February 2024. The rollout in Europe followed a few months later. In September 2025, the company introduced a newer version called Sora 2. With this app, users can create remarkably realistic AI videos based on text prompts. Now, the AI app is coming to an unexpected end. OpenAI no longer wants to pump money into Sora.
This is reportedly due to the enormous computing power required to run AI videos, according to a person familiar with the matter speaking to Reuters. Nevertheless, Sora employees were surprised by the news.
Competition
OpenAI is meanwhile facing stiff competition from the likes of Anthropic and Google. The company recently announced a doubling of its workforce, with a focus on product development, engineering, research, and sales.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI wants to shift its focus to applications that generate text or code, such as ChatGPT and Codex. Furthermore, the company wants to hold its own against increasingly popular competitors such as Anthropic’s Claude. An energy-intensive AI video app no longer fits the portfolio.
Furthermore, this decision marks the end of a deal with Disney worth no less than $1 billion. The three-year contract was signed barely three months ago.