The end of Sora and the return to realism
Artificial Intelligence seems to be moving into a less impressive but clearly more strategic phase, as companies in the space gradually abandon the logic of diffusion and return to clearer priorities. In this context, OpenAI recently announced that it plans to consolidate its core tools into a single desktop “superapp”, combining services such as ChatGPT, Codex and the Atlas browser. This move is not only about improving the user experience, but mainly a clear repositioning of the company, which seeks to pool resources and strengthen those products that are already performing.
What is of particular interest, however, is what is left out of this new architecture. Sora, one of OpenAI’s most impressive and talked-about projects, is not only not being integrated into the “superapp”, but is being abandoned altogether. Along with it, the collaboration with The Walt Disney Company, which until recently was presented as a possible bridge between Artificial Intelligence and the entertainment industry, is abandoned. This absence cannot be considered a technical detail. Instead, it serves as an indication that the company is revising not just products, but entire directions.
The most obvious explanation concerns the economic dimension. Sora, despite the hype it caused, doesn’t seem to have developed into a strong commercial product, at least compared to ChatGPT, which has already managed to generate significant revenue and a clear business model. At a time when the pressure to perform is intensifying and the debate surrounding the overvaluation of the AI market is becoming increasingly heated (to the point where some are talking about an impending bubble), companies are challenged to prove that they can turn technological innovation into financial viability. The fact that OpenAI is considering introducing ads to some of its services reinforces this picture, showing that it’s no longer just a question of growth, but also of performance.
At the same time, this choice is linked to a broader restructuring of priorities. The “superapp” brings together tools directly related to productivity and everyday work, such as writing, programming and web browsing. In contrast, video creation remains a field with high costs, uncertain performance, and limited integration into professional workflows. This shift does not necessarily mean that video has no future in AI, but that, at this stage, it is not a priority for OpenAI.
However, economics and strategic focus do not fully explain the decision, especially considering that the partnership with Disney could act as a lever for commercial exploitation. The fact that this partnership is being abandoned suggests that the challenges are not only business, but also institutional.
At this point, the issue of deepfakes is likely to be of central importance. Sora was not just a video creation tool, but a technology capable of producing highly realistic content, raising serious questions around misinformation, consent and copyright. These concerns have already begun to translate into stricter regulatory frameworks, both in Europe and the United States, which increase compliance costs and limit the functionality of such tools. The more filters and restrictions are required, the less flexible and attractive they become, making it harder to turn them into widely used products.
Finally, the factor of competition cannot be ignored. The market for AI video creation is rapidly evolving, with new players entering strongly and offering alternatives. In such an environment, a company’s decision to withdraw from a field does not necessarily mean that the field has no value, but that it chooses not to invest further in it under the given circumstances.
What if this is not an isolated incident but represents the new trend in Artificial Intelligence? Then we will soon see some tools disappear. Goodbye Sora! We will miss you.