Disney is making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, forging a partnership that will integrate Disney's intellectual property into OpenAI's Sora video generation tool. This agreement grants Sora users the ability to create short videos featuring over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. A curated selection of these user-generated videos will then be available for streaming on Disney+.
Disney aims to leverage OpenAI's APIs to develop new products and tools, including applications for Disney+ and internal deployments of ChatGPT for its employees. CEO Bob Iger highlighted the deal's potential to place imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans.
This collaboration arrives amid Hollywood's anxieties regarding the impact of AI on creative expression and intellectual property rights. The licensing agreement spans three years, marking Disney as a key content partner for OpenAI. Disney also gets warrants to acquire additional equity in OpenAI.
